1630-1005 


THE  FIRST  CHURCH  OF  CHRIST 


IN 


WINDSOR  CONNECTICUT 
1630-1905 


THE  TWO   HUNDRED 

AND   SEVENTY-FIFTH   ANNIVERSARY 

NOVEMBER   19  TO   26   1905 


ADDRESSES  AND  SERMONS 


HARTFORD,  CONN.: 

Press  of  THE  HARTFORD  PRINTING  COMPANY, 
(ELIHU  GEER  SONS.) 

igo6. 


THE  MEETING  HOUSE,  ERECTED  1794. 


2012434 


INTRODUCTORY. 


The  Two  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  Anniversary 
of  the  founding  of  the  First  Church  of  Windsor  was  felt 
by  some  of  its  members  to  be  a  date  too  significant  to 
be  passed  over  without  some  public  observance.  In 
this  feeling  the  exercises  of  which  this  little  book  is  a 
report  may  be  said  to  have  had  their  beginning.  Plans 
began  to  assume  definite  form  in  July,  1905,  when  a 
joint  meeting  of  the  standing  committees  of  the 
Church  and  Society  voted  to  recommend  that  the 
anniversary  be  observed  by  appropriate  public  ser- 
vices. Later,  formal  action  was  taken  by  the  Church 
and  the  conduct  of  the  celebration  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  two  committees  just  referred  to. 

As  soon  as  the  fact  became  known  that  so  unusual 
an  event  as  the  celebration  of  the  Two  Hundred  and 
Seventy-fifth  Anniversary  of  a  church,  in  this  new 
and  changing  country,  was  to  occur,  liberal  notices 
were  given  in  the  public  press  in  Hartford,  Spring- 
field, and  elsewhere.  Thus,  when  the  time  arrived, 
an  interest  and  enthusiasm  quite  unexpected  per- 
vaded the  local  community,  and  extended  to  many 
in  other  places,  who,  for  ancestral  and  other  causes, 
have  affection  for  the  Windsor  Church.  The  first 
service  on  Sunday  morning  was  attended  by  about 
four  hundred  persons,  including  many  from  out  of 


town,  and  interest  and  attendance  were  finely  sus- 
tained to  the  closing  impressive  service  on  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday  night.  The  occasion  was  greatly 
favored  by  the  perfect  weather  conditions  of  the 
entire  week. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  program  was  shaped  with 
a  view  toward  the  present  life  and  task  of  the  church, 
as  well  as  the  past  history  and  achievement.  There 
is  a  looking  back  which  results  in  the  condition  of 
Lot's  wife;  and  there  is  a  looking  back  which  affords 
guidance  to  the  mind,  inspiration  to  the  heart  and 
vigor  to  the  will  for  pressing  forward.  The  latter 
result  seemed  to  be  secured,  in  some  measure,  by 
this  anniversary;  and  this  booklet  is  issued  in  the 
hope  that  it  will  help  to  make  permanent  the  im- 
pressions of  this  happy  occasion. 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 
JOHN  WARHAM,        .        Address  by  Rev.  Roscoe  Nelson,       7 

OUR  PURITAN  INHERITANCE  OF  PRINCIPLES, 

Address  by  Rev.  Oliver  H.  Branson,     28 

GREAT  NAMES  IN  OUR  HISTORY, 

Address  by  Rev.  Charles  A.  Jaquith,     32 

THE  UNREMEMBERED,  Address  by  Rev.  George  L.  Clark,     39 

THE  TRUE  USE  OF  ANCESTORS, 

Address  by  Mr.  Edward  W.  Hooker,     44 

REV.  GOWEN  C.  WILSON,  MEMORIAL  SERVICE,      .        .         .50 

Addresses  by  Rev.  Evarts  W.  Pond,     .         .53 

Rev.  Edwin  P.  Parker,  D.D.,     60 

THE  CHURCH  TODAY, 

Sermon  by  Prof.   Clark  S.  Beards  lee,  D.D.,     66 

THE  APOSTLE'S  HOPE  FOR  A  CHURCH  WITH  A  HISTORY, 

Sermon  by  Rev.  Rockwell  Harmon  Potter,     76 

As  TO  ORIGIN  AND  EARLY  MIGRATIONS,  81 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 

THE  MEETING  HOUSE, Facing      2 

REV.  ROSCOE  NELSON, "        16 

PARISH  HOUSE, "26 

REV.  GOWEN  C.  WILSON,       .                 ...  "50 


SUNDAY,  NOVEMBER  19. 


Motto  for  the  day :  ' '  Remember  the  days  of  old,  consider  the 
years  of  many  generations:  ask  thy  father,  and  he  will  shew 
thee;  thy  elders,  and  they  will  tell  thee." — Deut.  32:  7. 


ORDER  OF  MORNING  WORSHIP. 

Prelude. 

Doxology. 

Invocation. 

Anthem, — Jerusalem   my  Glorious    Home, 

Lowell  Mason. 
Psalter. 
Hymn,— 1287. 

Scripture  Lesson,  — Deut.  xi. 
Prayer, —  Rev.  William  B.  Gary. 
Hymn,— 1312. 
Offering. 

Choir, — The    Breaking    Waves    Dashed    High. 
Address  by  the  Pastor,  Rev.  Roscoe  Nelson. 

Subject:  John  Warham. 
Anthem — Sound  the  Loud  Timbrel, 

Charles  Avison. 
Prayer  and  Benediction. 


ADDRESS  BY  REV.  ROSCOE  NELSON. 
JOHN  WARHAM. 


The  task  which  I  set  for  myself  on  the  program  of 
this  Two  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  Anniversary 
is  to  lift  up  before  your  minds  the  personality  of  the 
first  pastor  of  the  Church,  the  Rev.  John  Warham. 
Reason  enough  for  doing  this  is  the  fact  that  he  was 
the  first  in  point  of  time.  But  fortunately  there 
are  other  reasons.  Of  all  the  line  of  faithful  ministers 
who  have  served  the  Church,  Warham  probably 
deserves  to  rank  first  on  the  merits  of  his  character 
and  service.  In  fact,  his  position  as  minister  at  the 
very  beginning  of  the  Church's  life  invests  him  with 
an  interest  that  can  scarcely  attach  to  any  successor. 
Such  is  the  honor  deservedly  bestowed  upon  the 
founder.  Such  the  importance  attached  in  our 
feeling  to  beginnings  and  to  the  early  guidance  and 
shaping  of  an  institution  of  beneficence  to  mankind. 

I  shall  invite  you,  then,  this  morning  to  attempt 
with  me  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Warham; 
to  bring  ourselves  as  far  as  may  be  into  the  presence 
of  the  man,  to  sense  the  quality  of  his  character  and 
ministry,  to  subject  him,  in  a  word,  to  that  process 
of  analysis  to  which  he  was  accustomed  from  his 
own  congregation,  from  Sunday  to  Sunday,  and  to 
which  his  successors  in  the  ministry  have  ever  since 
been  exposed. 


8 

The  material  available  for  such  an  attempt  as  I 
am  to  make  is  none  too  abundant.  The  imagination 
must  play  some  part  in  what  I  shall  say,  though,  I 
trust,  in  a  manner  fully  in  accord  with  such  facts  as 
are  known  of  Mr.  Warham's  history.  You  can  imag- 
ine that  it  is  not  a  little  tantalizing  to  one  preparing 
such  an  address  to  hold  in  his  hand  a  volume  con- 
taining numerous  sermons  and  lectures  of  the  man 
about  whom  he  is  to  speak,  but  not  one  word  of  which 
he  can  read.  That  was  exactly  my  situation  a  few 
days  ago.  In  the  safety  vault  of  the  Connecticut 
Historical  Society's  library  in  Hartford  is  a  choice 
volume.  It  contains  the  short  hand  notes  of  sermons 
by  Mr.  Warham  and  Thomas  Hooker,  preached  from 
April,  1639,  to  April,  1640.  There  are  seventy-five 
of  Warham's  sermons  and  lectures  in  the  volume. 
The  notes  were  made  by  Henry  Wolcott  the  second. 
These  sermons  would,  perhaps,  reveal  Mr.  Warham 
better  than  all  else  that  is  known  of  him.  But  you 
cannot  read  a  word  of  them.  Probably  no  man  living, 
now  that  Mr.  J.  H.  Trumbull  is  gone,  could  read  them 
without  a  great  deal  of  study.  So  it  is  with  this 
treasure  locked  up  in  the  safety  vault,  and  even  more 
securely  locked  up  in  the  short  hand  characters  of 
Mr.  Wolcott,  that  I  must  proceed  with  my  task. 

Of  Mr.  Warham's  family  in  England  there  is 
little  that  can  be  said.  The  name  was  common 
enough,  and  those  who  bore  it,  so  far  as  appears, 
worthy  people.  I  find  a  town  on  the  map  of  England, 
near  Dorchester,  by  the  name  of  Warham.  One 
William  Warham,  who  died  in  1532,  probably  of  the 
same  family  stock  as  our  Mr.  Warham,  was  Arch- 


bishop  of  Canterbury;  which  fact  need  not  be 
reckoned  against  him  as  he  was  otherwise  a  good  man. 
We  shall  not  be  far  wrong  in  imagining  John  Warham 
growing  up  a  good  boy  in  a  pious  household,  educated 
for  the  church  at  one  of  the  universities,  in  due  time 
ordained  by  the  bishop,  and  set  in  one  of  the  churches 
of  the  city  of  Exeter  as  the  vicar  or  rector.  There 
is  where  we  find  him  when  our  knowledge  of  him 
begins.  From  his  pulpit  in  Exeter,  where  he  was 
undoubtedly  a  success,  he  came  to  join  in  that  won- 
derful emigration  to  Massachusetts  Bay.  Charter 
for  the  settlement  of  this  region  had  been  obtained 
of  the  King.  The  new  enterprise  was  a  subject  of 
conversation  in  many  a  household  and  meeting  place. 
Reports  from  the  colony  in  Plymouth  had  been  more 
or  less  spread  abroad  in  England,  and  the  agitation 
of  the  question  of  removing  to  America  made  more 
than  a  ripple  on  the  surface  of  English  society.  Under 
this  Massachusetts  Bay  Charter  seventeen  ships  came 
over  during  the  year  1630,  bringing  some  sixteen 
hundred  to  seventeen  hundred  people.  The  first  of 
these  ships  to  sail  for  the  Massachusetts  coast  was  the 
Mary  and  John,  which  arrived  at  Nantasket,  the 
thirtieth  day  of  May,  bringing  Mr.  Warham  and  his 
associate  Mr.  Maverick,  and  the  worthy  people,  one 
hundred  and  forty  in  number,  who  made  up  the  first 
members  of  this  Church  and  congregation.  They 
effected  their  settlement,  as  you  well  know,  at  Dor- 
chester, whence  in  1635-6,  they  removed  to  this  place, 
leaving  some  of  their  members  still  in  Dorchester, 
where  a  new  church  was  immediately  formed. 
Thus  Mr.  Warham  was  set  into  the  ministry  of  this 


10 

church  in  a  building  called  the  New  Hospital  in  Ply- 
mouth, England,  March  20,  1630;  he  had  for  his  first 
meeting  house  the  Mary  and  John,  where,  in  the 
quaint  record  of  Roger  Clap,  "They  had  preaching 
and  expounding  of  the  word  of  God  every  day  for 
ten  weeks  together,"  and  continued  in  the  pastorate 
till  his  death  here  in  1670,  a  term  of  forty  years. 

Now  in  making  the  acquaintance  of  Mr.  Warham, 
what  first  impresses  us? 

The  first  thing  is  what  is  first  in  most  leaders  of 
men,  the  fact  that  he  inspires  faith  in  himself.  Some 
men  are  centers  of  gravity.  Others  revolve  about 
them,  like  to  be  near  them,  delight  to  follow  them. 
You  can  not  explain  this  power.  It  is  a  gift.  This 
gift  Mr.  Warham  possessed. 

There  is  a  passage  in  Roger  Clap's  memoir,  which 
very  finely  illustrates  this.  Roger  Clap  was  a  young 
man  about  twenty-one  years  of  age,  who  came  in 
the  Mary  and  John.  He  was  a  young  man  of  promise, 
was  first  to  unite  with  the  church  after  landing  on 
this  side,  and  became  a  prominent  citizen  of  Dor- 
chester, and  head  of  a  numerous  and  worthy  family. 
This  Roger  Clap  tells  in  some  detail  the  story  of  his 
own  adventure  into  America.  He  says : 

"I  did  desire  my  dear  father  (my  dear  mother 
being  dead)  that  I  might  live  abroad,  which  he 
consented  to:  (that  is,  away  from  home.)  So  I 
first  went  for  tryal  to  live  with  a  worthy  gentleman, 
Mr.  William  Southcot,  who  lived  about  three  miles 
from  the  city  of  Exeter.  He  was  careful  to  keep  a 
Godly  Family.  There  being  but  a  very  mean  preacher 
in  that  place,  we  went  every  Lord's  Day  into  the  City, 
where  were  many  famous  preachers  of  the  Word  of 


11 

God.  I  then  took  such  a  liking  unto  the  Revd.  Mr. 
John  Warham,  that  I  did  desire  to  live  near  him: 
so  I  removed  (with  my  Father's  consent)  into  the 
City,  and  lived  with  one  Mr.  Mossiour,  as  Famous  a 

Family  for  Religion  as  ever  I  knew 

I  never  so  much  as  heard  of  New  England  until  I 
heard  of  many  godly  Persons  that  were  going  there, 
and  that  Mr.  Warham  was  to  go  also." 

Later  he  adds : 

"God  by  his  Providence  brought  me  near  to  Mr. 
Warham,  and  inclined  my  heart  to  his  ministry." 

These  statements  of  Mr.  Clap  open  a  window  for 
us  into  that  most  interesting  process  of  selection  by 
which  the  passengers  of  the  Mary  and  John  were 
drawn  together  out  of  the  mass  of  English  society. 
Here  we  see  the  organizing  principle  that  made 
them  a  community  and  a  church  instead  of  an  aggre- 
gation of  individuals  going  in  the  same  direction. 
In  Mr.  Clap's  case  the  process  is  as  plain  as  day,  and 
it  is  as  fine  and  beautiful  as  it  is  plain.  We  need  not 
say  that  Mr.  Clap  and  others  like  him  were  not  moved 
by  the  possibilities  and  prospects  of  life  in  America. 
They  were  practical  men,  setting  a  proper  value  upon 
the  present  world.  Very  little  fanaticism  mingled 
in  their  spirits.  They  were  conscious,  in  some  dim 
way  at  least,  that  they  were  called  of  God  to  be  pio- 
neers in  a  new  era  of  this  world's  life.  They  went 
feeling  no  doubt  that  a  rich  land  of  promise  lay  before 
them,  even  as  Abraham  came  out  of  Ur  of  the  Chal- 
dees,  and,  not  knowing  whither  he  went,  was  borne 
along  by  the  promise  that  in  his  seed  all  nations 
would  be  blessed.  But  it  was  no  dream  of  gold  and 
empire  that  drew  these  men  together  and  knit  them 


12 

into  unity.  Speaking  generally,  the  organizing  prin- 
ciple was  their  common  religious  life  and  their  com- 
mon desire  for  a  free  exercise  thereof.  But  the  gen- 
eral motive  of  religious  freedom,  in  the  person  of 
Roger  Clap  and  others  of  his  like,  becomes  concrete 
and  effective  by  their  enthusiastic  attachment  to 
Mr.  Warham.  There  was  here  operative  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  Master  and  His  disciples.  Peter,  on  a 
memorable  occasion,  did  not  say  in  a  general  way, 
"Lord,  I  will  be  a  good  Christian;"  but,  "Lord, 
with  thee  I  am  ready  to  go  both  to  prison  and  to 
death."  His  enthusiasm  for  the  Master  was  the 
motive  most  immediately  present  and  powerful. 
Thus  it  was  not  wholly  the  general  desire  for  religious 
freedom  that  constrained  Roger  Clap  to  join  in  that 
emigration ;  but  the  affection  he  had  for  Mr.  Warham. 
"I  never  so  much  as  heard  of  New  England,  until  I 
heard  of  many  godly  persons  that  were  going  there, 
and  that  Mr.  Warham  was  to  go  also."  Thus  he  is 
drawn  into  the  company  of  emigrants  by  first  being 
drawn  to  the  leaders  thereof.  The  process  is  one  in 
which  affection  and  personal  attachment  play  a 
major  part.  The  selective  process  is  the  process  of 
friendship.  The  leaders  are  the  personal  magnets 
who  draw  others  of  like  spirit  to  themselves. 

What  was  true  of  Mr.  Clap  was  undoubtedly 
true,  with  individual  variations,  of  others  in  the  com- 
pany. And  the  same  was  true  of  Hooker  and  his 
people  in  Hartford.  Both  Warham  and  Hooker 
were  men  gifted  with  the  power  to  win  the  loyalty 
of  others,  to  awaken  and  hold  the  faith  and  affection 
and  enthusiasm  of  those,  who  looked  to  them  as 


13 

leaders  and  teachers.  Indeed  the  same  fine  personal 
attachments  and  friendly  enthusiasms  characterize 
the  New  England  settlements  generally.  Cotton 
Mather  says : 

Most,  if  not  all,  of  the  ministers  who  then  visited 
these  regions,  were  either  attended  or  followed  with 
a  number  of  pious  people  who  had  lived  within  reach 
of  their  ministry  in  England.  These,  who  were  now 
also  become  generally  non-conformists,  having  found 
the  powerful  impression  of  those  good  men's  ministry 
upon  their  souls,  continued  their  sincere  affections 
unto  that  ministry,  and  were  willing  to  accompany 
it  into  these  uttermost  ends  of  the  earth. 

The  next  thing  to  impress  us  in  making  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Mr.  Warham  is  his  preaching.  What 
sort  of  a  preacher  was  he  ? 

An  interesting  description  of  Mr.  Warham's  method 
of  preaching  is  found  in  Cotton  Mather's  Magnalia. 
He  says,  "I  suppose  the  first  preacher  that  ever 
thus  preached  with  notes  in  our  New  England  was 
the  Reverend  Warham;  who,  though  he  were  some- 
times faulted  for  it,  by  some  judicious  men  who  never 
heard  him,  yet  when  once  they  came  to  hear  him, 
they  could  not  but  admire  the  notable  energy  of  his 
ministry.  He  was  a  more  vigorous  preacher  than 
the  most  of  them  who  have  been  applauded  for  never 
looking  in  a  book  in  their  lives." 

From  this  passage  in  Cotton  Mather,  it  has  been 
said  that  Warham  was  the  first  to  preach  from  man- 
uscript in  New  England.  I  hardly  think,  however, 
that  Mather  intends  to  convey  the  idea  that  Warham 
had  his  sermons  written  out  in  full  and  read  them 
every  word  from  the  manuscript.  Just  before  the 
passage  quoted,  Mather  says: 


14 

"Indeed  I  would  have  distinction  made  between  the 
reading  of  notes  and  the  using  of  notes.  It  is  pity 
that  a  minister  should  so  read  his  notes  as  to  take 
away  the  vivacity  and  efficacy  of  his  delivery;  but 
if  he  so  use  his  notes  as  a  lawyer  does  his  minutes 
whereupon  he  is  to  plead,  and  carry  a  full  quiver  into 
the  pulpit  with  him  from  whence  he  may  with  one 
cast  of  his  eye,  after  the  lively  shooting  of  an  arrow, 
fetch  out  the  next,  it  might  be  a  thousand  ways 
advantageous."  Then  he  adds:  "I  suppose  the  first 
preacher  that  ever  thus  preached  in  our  New  England 
was  the  Reverend  Warham." 

So  we  are  not  to  think  of  Mr.  Warham  as  prosily 
reading  sermons  an  hour  long  to  a  wearying  con- 
gregation; but  rather,  we  may  think  of  him  with 
written  notes  in  front  of  him,  or  with  small  sermon 
book  in  one  hand,  of  which  he  makes  use  as  he  pro- 
ceeds with  his  vigorous  discourse. 

This  fact  of  Warham 's  use  of  notes  in  preaching 
gives  us  a  strong  hint  as  to  the  preacher  himself. 
Why  did  he  use  notes?  It  was  entirely  contrary  to 
the  prevailing  custom.  The  fact  itself  is  evidence 
of  a  certain  independence  and  originality.  But  more 
than  that  it  indicates  a  certain  intensity  of  feel- 
ing and  spiritual  passion  in  the  man.  Perhaps 
we  may  say  with  truth  that  he  did  not  dare  trust 
himself  to  preach  without  the  curb  of  written  notes. 
The  business  of  preaching  with  him  was  not  the 
cold  and  logical  statement  of  the  puritan  doctrine. 
It  was  the  utterance  of  truth  that  burned  within  his 
soul.  It  was  the  surging  oft-times  of  a  great  tide  of 
feeling  too  rapid  and  volcanic  for  ordered  expression 
in  words,  at  the  moment,  and  sometimes  almost 
beyond  the  control  of  the  preacher.  I  suppose  such, 


15 

carried  to  the  pitch  of  ecstasy,  was  the  speaking  in 
tongues  of  which  we  hear  in  the  Apostolic  church. 
Some  persons  seem  to  have  been  possessed  by  spir- 
itual feelings  and  ecstasies  of  which  they  could  not 
give  expression  in  ordered  speech.  Of  course,  an 
emotionally  intense  type  of  person  was  the  subject 
of  this  gift.  I  venture  to  think  that  Mr.  Warham's 
personality  was  somewhat  of  this  order.  At  times 
so  fervent  were  his  feelings,  so  intense  his  spiritual 
passion  that  he  felt  the  need  of  the  reins  of  written 
notes  as  he  went  into  the  pulpit  to  preach.  Thus 
he  was  an  inspired  and  an  inspiring  preacher. 

The  following  from  Roger  Clap  bears  in  part  at 
least  upon  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Warham.  He  says : 

"The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  so  plainly  held 
out  in  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  unto  poor  lost 
Sinners  and  the  absolute  Necessity  of  the  New  Birth, 
and  God's  holy  Spirit  in  those  Days  was  pleased  to 
accompany  the  Word  with  such  Efficacy  upon  the 
Hearts  of  many,  that  our  Hearts  were  taken  off  from 

Old  England  and  set  upon  Heaven." 

"Oh  the  many  tears  that  have  been  shed  in  Dorchester 
Meeting  House  at  such  times,  both  by  those  that  have 
declared  God's  work  on  their  Souls,  and  also  by  those 
that  heard  them." 

The  impression  seems  to  prevail  that  the  Puritan 
preaching  was  harsh  as  well  as  stupid.  Not  such 
is  the  import  of  Roger  Clap's  words.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  the  Puritan  preaching  of  this  period  glowed 
with  Apostolic  freshness.  Preaching  in  the  English 
Church  at  the  time  was  generally  at  a  low  ebb.  The 
Puritan  preachers  of  the  period  were  men  who  felt 
the  fresh  breath  of  the  Spirit  upon  them  annointing 
them  to  preach  good  tidings  of  Salvation.  Their 


16 

message  came  with  heavenly  joy  to  souls  that  were 
hungering  for  the  words  of  eternal  life.  Such  a 
preacher  was  Mr.  Warham. 

Mr.  Warham  seems  to  have  had  the  habit  of  preach- 
ing a  number  of  sermons  from  the  same  text.  Of 
seventy-five  sermons  and  lectures  in  Mr.  Wolcott's 
note  book,  twenty-four  were  from  the  ninety-fourth 
Psalm,  verses  four,  five  and  six,  and  nineteen  from 
I  Cor.  6:11.  One  can  imagine  few  severer  tests  of 
preaching  than  to  interest  the  people  during  twenty- 
four  sermons  on  one  text.  But  this  test  our  first 
minister  seems  to  have  stood. 

One  of  the  sermons  preached  that  year  was  on  the 
occasion  of  the  betrothing  of  two  young  men  of  the 
parish  and  two  young  women.  The  men  were  Ben- 
edict Alvord  and  Abraham  Randall.  Mr.  Warham 
made  use  of  the  occasion  to  give  instruction  upon 
the  important  subject  of  matrimony.  One  wonders 
how  the  prospective  young  husbands  and  wives 
felt  when  the  Pastor  announced  his  text,  Eph.  6:  11: 
"Put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may  be 
able  to  stand  against  the  wiles  of  the  devil?"  And 
still  more  one  wonders  what  was  the  feeling  of  the 
congregation  when  the  minister  came  out  with  the 
proposition  that  marriage  is  a  warfaring  condition 
and  those  who  contemplate  entering  thereon,  need 
something  more  than  the  consent  of  their  parents? 
We  can  hardly  doubt  that  Mr.  Warham  gave  whole- 
some instruction  on  this  very  vital  theme.  If  such 
instruction  were  more  in  vogue  at  the  present  time 
the  divorce  courts  would  be  less  busy.  One  can 
easily  imagine  that  these  young  lovers,  as  well  as 


REV.  ROSCOE  NELSON. 


17 

the  whole  congregation,  were  brought  face  to  face 
with  the  truth  that  marriage  is  a  state  in  which  ser- 
vice and  sacrifice  and  spiritual  conquest  are  required ; 
a  state  in  which  the  word  duty  should  be  written 
with  large  letters ;  a  state  for  overcoming  the  obstacles 
to  domestic  happiness,  rather  than  yielding  to  them. 

Such  a  sermon,  one  can  scarcely  doubt,  was  felt 
in  every  home  in  the  community  as  a  force  making 
for  domestic  stability  and  happiness. 

The  temple  of  fame  has  found  room  for  the  name 
of  only  one  parson  from  the  first  period  of  this  Con- 
necticut settlement, and  of  course  that  name  is  Thomas 
Hooker,  the  first  pastor  of  Hartford;  a  forceful,  pos- 
itive, clearsighted,  virile  personality.  Perhaps  it 
is  too  much  to  expect  that  Warham  should  be  remem- 
bered alongside  of  Hooker.  History  is  rigid  in  its 
exclusions.  The  one  man  is  remembered  as  a  house- 
hold name,  while  others  who  were  with  him,  and 
perhaps  only  a  little  in  the  rear  in  public  service, 
are  put  into  the  shadow.  Of  course,  Mr.  Hooker  is 
known  everywhere  as  the  preacher  of  the  sermon 
that  inspired  the  first  Constitution  of  Connecticut, 
and  uttered  the  principles  of  American  Democracy. 
But  in  all  likelihood,  Roger  Ludlow  of  Windsor 
wrote  the  Constitution,  and  Mr.  Warham  was  Lud- 
low's  pastor.  It  is  taking  nothing  away  from  the 
fame  of  Hooker  to  suppose  that  Warham  was  with 
him,  perhaps  a  close  second  in  the  creative  work  of 
that  remarkable  epoch. 

It  is  only  recently  that  the  real  greatness  and  public 
service  of  Oliver  Ellsworth  has  begun  to  be  appre- 
ciated; and  this,  in  the  judgment  of  his  recent  bi- 


18 

ographer,  is  due  to  the  overshadowing  greatness  of 
Washington  and  Franklin,  and  a  few  others  of  that 
period.  Now  without  subtracting  from  the  fame  of 
Washington,  or  any  other,  it  is  seen  that  Ellsworth 
deserves  the  lasting  gratitude  of  Americans.  Thus, 
I  shall  be  pardoned,  I  think,  if  today  I  am  bold  enough 
to  associate  the  name  of  Mr.  Warham  with  that  of 
Thomas  Hooker,  in  the  creative  work  of  the  period 
to  which  they  belonged,  and  to  say  that  in  Windsor, 
at  least,  Mr.  Warham  deserves  to  be  held  in  perpetual 
remembrance. 

In  his  day,  Warham  was  widely  and  highly  es- 
teemed. Cotton  Mather  says:  "The  whole  Colony 
of  Connecticut,  considered  him  a  principal  pillar,  and 
father  of  the  Colony."  He  was  repeatedly  ap- 
pointed to  important  tasks  by  the  General  Court. 
In  1656  he  was  sent  to  Boston  to  take  part  in  the 
conference  that  resulted  in  the  so-called  half-way 
covenant.  The  record  reads  thus:  "This  court  doth 
order  that  Mr.  Warham,  Mr.  Stone,  Mr.  Blinman,  and 
Mr.  Russell  be  desired  to  meet  the  fifth  day  of  June 
next,"  etc.  Mr.  Warham's  name  comes  first  on  the 
list. 

Here  is  another  item  in  the  records  of  the  General 
Court,  1660.  It  concerns  the  town  of  Middletown. 
The  Court  ordered  that  the  town  "shall  have  liberty 
to  provide  for  themselves  another  able,  orthodox 
and  pious  minister,  as  soon  as  they  can,  who  is  to  be 
approved  by  Mr.  Warham,  Mr.  Stone  and  Mr. 
Whiting,  taking  in  ye  help  of  ye  worthy  governor 
and  Mr.  Willis."  Mr.  Warham  was  one  of  a  commit- 
tee appointed  by  the  General  Court  to  draw  up  an 


19 

address  and  petition  to  Charles  II,  which,  with  the 
adroit  diplomacy  of  Governor  Winthrop,  resulted  in 
the  charter  of  1662. 

One  could  wish  that  Mr.  Warham's  ministry, 
which  had  been  so  full  of  valuable  service  to  the 
Church  and  Colony,  might  have  ended  in  peace. 
But  unhappily,  such  was  not  the  case.  About  the 
year  1663,  disturbances  appeared  in  the  Church. 
It  was  the  same  time  that  the  First  Church  of  Hartford 
was  similarly  afflicted,  and  the  Second  Church  was 
formed.  Like  disturbances  were  experienced  in 
other  places. 

Under  date  of  March,  1663,  there  occurs  in  the 
records  of  the  General  Court:  "The  Church  of  Christ 
of  Windsor  complayned  of  James  Enoe  and  Michael 
Humphrey,  for  several  things  contained  in  a  paper 
presented  to  the  Court, — Mr.  Clark  in  behalf  of  the 
Church  withdraws  the  charge." 

But  though  the  charge,  whatever  it  may  have 
been,  was  withdrawn,  the  Court  saw  fit  to  take 
action  as  follows: 

"This  court,  having  seriously  considered  the  case 
respecting  James  Enoe  and  Michael  Humphrey,  do 
declare  such  practices  to  be  offensive,  and  may  prove 
prejudicial  to  the  welfare  of  this  Colony,  and  the  court 
expects  they  will  readily  come  to  the  acknowledge- 
ment of  their  error  in  the  paper  presented  by  them 
to  the  court." 

What  the  offensive  practices  were,  does  not  appear. 
But  it  is  not  difficult  to  imagine  that  this  paper 
presented  to  the  Court,  was  something  that  threat- 
ened the  peace  of  the  Church,  and  was  more  than 


20 

likely  in  opposition  to  Mr.  Warham's  doctrine  of 
church  order. 

About  the  same  time  the  record  states:  "This 
Court  approves  the  prudent  care  of  Windsor  in 
looking  out  for  an  assistant  for  Mr.  Warham."  In 
1667,  Rev.  Nathaniel  Chauncey,  son  of  the  President 
of  Harvard  College,  after  extended  controversy, 
was  settled  as  Mr.  Warham's  associate.  His  settle- 
ment was  the  occasion  of  a  disagreement  which 
resulted  in  a  temporary  division  of  the  Church. 
Probably  it  would  be  too  much  to  say  that  Mr.  Chaun- 
cey caused  the  split.  No  doubt  there  were  lines  of 
cleavage  ready  to  form,  and  Mr.  Chauncey  seems  not 
to  have  been  the  man  to  heal  the  incipient  division, 
but  rather  was  the  occasion  of  an  open  rupture.  The 
vote  that  settled  him  is  a  prophecy  of  what  followed. 
Henry  Wolcott  returned  to  the  General  Court  eighty- 
six  votes  for  Mr.  Chauncey  and  fifty-two  against 
him.  The  minority  afterwards  obtained  permission 
to  go  out  and  worship  by  themselves  and  have  a 
minister  of  their  own,  which  they  continued  to  do 
for  some  thirteen  years. 

The  last  years  of  Mr.  Warham  were  saddened  by 
these  bitter  wranglings  and  division.  By  tempera- 
ment he  was  a  man  to  be  deeply  pained  by  such 
things.  For,  if  we  may  trust  the  words  of  Cotton 
Mather,  he  was  subject  to  melancholy  moods  and 
capable  of  great  suffering.  No  doubt  he  was  deeply 
sensitive  to  anything  that  disturbed  the  peace  and 
unity  of  the  church  of  his  early  love,  which  he  had 
served  for  the  term  of  near  forty  years.  Such  an  expe- 
rience could  not  but  be  painful  to  any  man;  it  was 


21 

peculiarly  so  to  a  man  of  Mr.  Warham's  tempera- 
ment.    Cotton  Mather  says  of  him: 

"Know  then,  that  though  our  Warham  were  as  pious 
a  man  as  most  that  were  out  of  heaven,  yet  Satan 
often  threw  him  into  those  deadly  pangs  of  melan- 
choly, that  made  him  despair  of  ever  getting  thither. 
Such  were  the  terrible  temptations,  and  horrible 
buffetings  undergone  sometimes  by  the  soul  of  this 
holy  man,  that  when  he  has  administered  the  Lord's 
supper  to  his  flock,  whom  he  durst  not  starve  by 
omitting  to  adminiser  that  ordinance,  yet  he  has 
foreborne  himself  to  partake  at  the  same  time  in  the 
ordinance  through  the  fearful  dejections  of  his  mind, 
which  persuaded  him  that  those  blessed  souls  did 
not  belong  unto  him.  The  dreadful  darkness  which 
overwhelmed  this  child  of  light  in  his  life  did  not 
wholly  leave  him  until  his  death.  It  is  reported  that 
he  did  even  '  set  in  a  cloud  '  when  he  retired  unto  the 
glorious  society  of  those  righteous  ones  that  are  to 
shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of  their  father, 
though  some  have  asserted  that  the  cloud  was  dis- 
pelled before  he  expired." 

If  it  is  true,  as  Mr.  Mather  indicates  it  may  have 
been,  that  Mr.  Warham  "set  in  a  cloud,"  we  can  not 
doubt  that  the  dissensions  in  his  Church  during  his 
latter  days  were  largely  responsible  for  the  cloud. 
For  a  man  naturally  sensitive  and  subject  to  depress- 
sion  would  feel  bitterly  such  a  situation  in  the  Church 
in  which  his  affections  had  so  long  centered.  Mr. 
Chauncey,  one  easily  suspects,  was  not  an  unmixed 
comfort  to  his  old  age.  In  Mr.  Wilson's  historical 
address,  given  here  twenty-five  years  ago,  occurs 
this  statement:  "When  a  sermon  was  preached  in 
the  pulpit  in  the  forenoon  concerning  doctrines  to 
which  Mr.  Chauncey  was  opposed,  he  would  in  the 


22 

afternoon,  preach  to  the  same  audience,  from  the 
same  text,  a  regular  logical  confutation  of  those 
doctrines."  Mr.  Wilson  evidently  had  some  author- 
ity for  this  statement,  but  what  it  was  I  have  been 
unable  to  find.  Neither  does  it  appear  who  the 
preacher  was  whom  Mr.  Chauncey  so  logically  re- 
futed in  the  afternoon.  The  supposition  that  first 
comes  to  mind  is  that  it  was  Mr.  Warham,  since 
no  other  man,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  was  associated 
with  Mr.  Chauncey,  at  least  regularly,  as  preacher 
for  the  fore  part  of  the  day.  But  whether  Mr. 
Chauncey  thus  dealt  with  his  venerable  colleague 
or  with  some  other  man,  the  least  that  can  be  said 
of  him  is  that  he  was  not  an  eminent  peace  maker, 
and  that  his  zeal  for  the  truth  was,  quite  probably, 
well  matched  by  his  contentiousness  of  spirit. 

Mr.  Warham  died  April  1,  1670,  but  the  grievous 
state  of  division  and  contention  continued  till  Mr. 
Chauncey  was  called  to  another  field,  and  afterwards, 
till  the  coming  of  Rev.  Samuel  Mather,  in  1684, 
under  whose  sensible  and  spiritual  ministry,  unity 
was  restored  and  a  new  era  of  prosperity  begun. 
One  would  like  to  speak  of  Mr.  Warham  from  the 
point  of  view  of  the  every  day  industrial  affairs  of 
the  town.  He  was  a  considerable  owner  of  real 
estate.  His  name  occurs  twelve  times  in  the  early 
records  as  a  party  to  real  estate  transfers.  He  was 
the  owner  of  the  grist  mill,  on  the  site  where  Mr. 
Lewis'  grist  mill  now  stands.  This  mill  he  deeded 
to  his  wife  in  1664,  and  calls  it  in  the  deed  of  gift, 
"my  corn  mill."  He  was  without  doubt  the  first 
owner  of  it.  Nothing  is  positively  known  as  to  the 


23 

reason  of  his  possession  of  this  property.  Mr.  Stough- 
ton,  author  of  "Windsor  Farms,"  told  me  that 
probably  Mr.  Warham  had  some  property  when  he 
came  from  old  England.  If  such  was  the  case,  it  is 
more  than  likely  that  he  invested  some  of  it  in  machin- 
ery and  a  building  for  doing  the  grinding  of  the  peo- 
ple. It  is  thought  this  was  the  first  mill  in  the 
colony,  and  there  are  traditions  that  people  came 
from  Hartford  and  Wethersfield,  and  as  far  away  as 
Middletown,  to  do  their  grinding.  I  do  not  know 
how  much  profit  came  to  Mr.  Warham  from  this 
mill.  The  business  was  a  sort  of  monoply,  but  the 
rate  of  toll  must  have  been  satisfactory  to  the  people, 
for  the  rate  was  fixed  by  the  town  meeting,  not  a 
bad  suggestion  for  dealing  with  monopolies  in  gen- 
eral. The  mill  was  a  public  institution  and  a  blessing 
to  every  family. 

If  the  women  had  the  grinding  to  do  in  the  families, 
as  was  probably  largely  the  case  before  the  mill 
was  set  up,  we  can  see  how  much  the  mill  meant  to 
the  wives  and  daughters  of  the  Windsor  households. 
Imagine  the  situation  here  in  1637,  when  the  Pequot 
War  was  declared.  Windsor  was  to  furnish  for 
that  campaign,  thirty  men,  sixty  bushels  of  corn, 
fifty  pieces  of  pork,  thirty  pounds  of  rice,  four  cheeses. 
They  were  to  "bake  in  biscuit  the  one  half  if  by 
any  means  they  can,  the  rest  in  ground  meal." 
Think  of  the  women  here  engaged  in  grinding  sixty 
bushels  of  corn  and  baking  half  of  it  into  biscuits 
No  man  felt  the  hardship  of  this  household  task  more 
than  the  pastor.  And  it  would  not  be  beyond  reas- 
onable probability  to  suppose  that  Mr.  Warham,  the 


24 

other  men  of  the  settlement  being  already  over- 
loaded with  work,  took  upon  himself  the  task  of 
establishing  the  mill  as  a  practical  form  of  service  to 
his  people.  The  Son  of  Man  who  came  bringing  the 
bread  of  eternal  life,  did  not  conceive  it  to  be  beyond 
his  province  or  beneath  his  dignity  to  feed  the  hun- 
gry multitudes  with  barley  bread  and  fishes ;  and  does 
it  not  mark  Mr.  Warham  with  the  sign  of  the  true 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  here  in  this  wilderness, 
he  not  only  divided  unto  his  people  the  word  of 
divine  truth,  but  also  had  regard  to  their  temporal 
straits  and  necessities,  and  set  himself  to  the  benefi- 
cent ministry  of  the  "corn  mill?"  In  this  service 
he  lightened  the  heavy  burdens  of  every  household, 
and  showed  himself  the  practical  builder  of  the  new 
community  here  as  well  as  the  inspiring  prophet  of 
the  glories  that  are  to  be  hereafter. 

To  speak  of  the  family  of  Mr.  Warham  and  of  his 
descendants  goes  beyond  the  limits  of  my  address 
this  morning.  That  would  be  more  than  enough 
for  an  address  in  itself.  His  first  wife  died  in  Dor- 
chester, in  1634.  He  afterwards  married  Jane 
Newbury,  the  widow  of  Thomas  Newbury.  This 
second  wife  was  the  mother  of  four  daughters,  Abi- 
gail, Hepzebah,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven,  Sarah, 
and  Esther.  Mr.  Warham's  name  thus  was  not 
perpetuated,  as  his  children  were  daughters,  but  his 
family  became  a  multitude  whom  no  man  can  num- 
ber. The  descendants  of  Abigail  and  Sarah  are 
still  with  us.  Two  of  them  are  officers  in  the  church 
and  society,  and  several  others  esteemed  members 
of  the  church  and  congregation.  Esther,  at  fifteen 


25 

years  of  age,  married  Rev.  Eleazer  Mather,  of 
Northampton,  who  shortly  died  leaving  her  a  widow. 
She  afterwards  married  Mr.  Mather's  successor  in 
the  Northampton  pastorate,  Rev.  Solomon  Stoddard, 
and  was  the  mother  of  twelve  children.  One  of  the 
twelve  was  named  Esther  after  her  mother.  This 
Esther  Stoddard  married  Timothy  Edwards  of  East 
Windsor  and  was  the  mother  of  eleven  children, 
one  of  whom  was  Jonathan  Edwards,  the  most 
widely  famous  of  a  long  and  numerous  line  of  tal- 
ented and  eminent  and  noble  men  and  women  in 
all  walks  of  life.  Mr.  Warham  was  thus  not  only 
a  principal  pillar  of  the  church  and  colony  in  his  day, 
he  was  the  father  and  founder  of  a  house  which  in 
service  to  the  country  and  church  can  scarcely  be 
excelled  by  the  houses  of  Europe's  royalty.  We  do 
well  to  reverence  his  memory.  We  may  be  thankful 
to  belong  to  the  church  he  served.  May  we  have 
grace  to  emulate  his  virtues  and  profit  by  the  exam- 
ple of  his  piety  and  his  fidelity  to  truth  and  God. 

Plutarch,  at  the  beginning  of  one  of  his  famous 
biographies  quotes  a  couplet  from  an  ancient  poet 
which  runs  thus: 

"What  children  do  their  ancestors  commend, 
But  those  whose  life  is  virtuous  to  the  end?" 
The  biographer  adds  that  this  proverb  stoppeth  the 
mouth  of  those  who  of  themselves  are  unworthy  of 
praise,  and  yet  are  still  boasting  of  the  virtues  of 
their    ancestors,    whose    praise    they    highly    extol. 
Then  he  quotes  Pindar  as  saying  that  they  worthily 
commend  their  forefathers,  who 


26 

"  Do  match  their  noble  ancestors  in  prowess  of  their  own, 
And  by  their  fruits  commend  the  stock  whence  they  them- 
selves are  grown." 

Not  all  of  us  of  the  present  generation  here  are 
descendants  of  these  early  founders.  But  we  are 
their  successors  in  the  procession  of  the  church's 
history.  May  we  honor  them  by  a  Christian  life 
and  service  of  which  they  will  not  be  ashamed,  when 
we  meet  them  in  the  glory  of  the  church  triumphant. 


SUNDAY   EVENING,   NOV.  19. 


The  service  was  held  in  the  Parish  House,  which 
was  well  filled  with  an  interested  congregation. 
After  brief  reading  of  Scripture  and  prayer  by  the 
pastor,  Professor  Waldo  S.  Pratt,  Mus.  D.,  was 
introduced  as  the  speaker  of  the  evening  and  the 
service  placed  in  his  charge.  The  subject  of  the 
address  was, "The  Growth  of  Church  Song  Since  1630." 
The  speaker  gave  a  sketch  of  the  advance  in  both 
hymns  and  tunes,  from  the  time  of  the  old  Psalters, 
(1630  to  about  1750),  through  the  era  of  the  Watts 
hymns  and  the  singing  school  tunes  (about  1750  to 
1850),  to  the  advent  of  the  modern  hymn  and  tune 
books.  The  different  types  of  hymns  and  tunes 
were  illustrated  by  the  choir  and  congregation,  in- 
cluding the  lining  out  of  a  hymn  by  the  leader. 

The  service  closed  with  benediction  by  Rev.  W.  M. 
Fanton. 


PARISH  HOUSE,  ERECTED  1902. 


27 


TUESDAY   EVENING,  NOV.  21. 


The  meeting  on  Tuesday  evening  was  designed 
for  fellowship  with  sister  churches  and  for  sociability. 
The  Parish  House  was  completely  filled  and  the 
evening  a  marked  success.  Special  invitations  to 
this  occasion  had  been  issued  to  the  Daughter 
Churches,  in  Simsbury,  South  Windsor,  Bloomfield, 
Poquonock,  and  Windsor  Locks;  to  the  Grand- 
daughters in  East  Windsor,  Wapping,  and  East 
Granby;  to  the  First  Church,  Hartford;  the  First 
Church,  Wethersfield;  to  Grace  Episcopal  and  Meth- 
odist Episcopal,  Windsor;  to  the  Union  Church  of 
Christ,  Wilson.  Generous  delegations  were  present 
from  these  churches.  After  the  formal  program, 
refreshments  were  served  in  the  dining  room,  where 
a  social  time  of  unusual  delight  was  enjoyed. 

After  reading  of  the  Scripture  and  prayer  by  Rev. 
David  W.  Goodale,  four  brief  addresses  were  made, 
which  follow: 


28 


ADDRESS  BY 

REV.   OLIVER   HART  BRONSON 

OF  SlMSBURY. 

OUR  PURITAN  INHERITANCE  OF 
PRINCIPLES. 


Fathers  and  Mothers,  Sisters  and  Brethren  of 
this  Honored  and  Ancient  Church: — 

I  deem  it  no  small  honor  to  be  invited  to  your  two 
hundred  and  seventy-fifth  birthday  party.  I  have 
been  asked  by  your  minister  to  speak  as  the  minister 
of  your  oldest  daughter,  and  that  oldest  daughter 
has  further  honored  me  by  asking  me  to  present  her 
compliments  and  congratulations,  and  to  express  to 
you  her  most  affectionate  wishes  for  most  happy 
and  useful  days  and  years  and  centuries  to  come. 

Eight  years  ago,  we  in  Simsbury  celebrated  the 
two  hundredth  anniversary  of  our  organization  as 
a  church,  but  here  in  the  bosom  of  the  family  we  may 
refer  to  the  fact  that  you  know  we  are  older  than 
that.  In  1642,  only  seven  years  after  you  came  to 
Windsor,  we  were  given  authority  by  the  General 
Court  to  acquire  "ground  uppon  that  part  of  the 
Tunxis  River  cauled  Massacowe."  And  between 
1664  and  1669,  about  twenty  families  moved  from 
Windsor  and  settled  in  what  is  now  Simsbury. 

The  new  settlement  was  officially  spoken  of  as  an 
"Appendix  to  Windsor."  Who  was  responsible  for 


29 

the  diagnosis  which  declared  Windsor  affected  with 
appendicitis  I  do  not  know,  but  the  now  popular 
operation  is  an  inheritance  from  these  Puritan  ances- 
tors, for  the  appendix  was  cut  from  ancient  Windsor 
in  1670,  and  became  the  town  of  Simsbury.  From 
that  time  on  we  had  a  minister  and  preaching  and 
built  our  first  meeting  house  in  1683.  In  1676,  when 
King  Philip  burned  our  new  settlement,  in  the  persons 
of  our  ancestors  we  fled  and  spent  several  months 
with  our  hospitable  mother  until  the  winter  should 
pass,  and  we  could  return  and  rebuild. 

In  the  two  hundred  and  thirty  years  since  we  spent 
the  winter  with  you,  we  have  only  visited  you  through 
occasional  representatives.  You  will  pardon  me 
now,  I  am  sure  (since  it  happened  over  one  hundred 
years  ago) ,  if  in  passing  I  refer  to  the  fact  that  one  of 
my  predecessors  in  the  Simsbury  pastorate,  exchang- 
ing with  your  minister,  felt  called  upon  to  preach 
from  the  text,  "Surely  the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  not  in 
this  place."  Perhaps  it  was  with  that  incident  in 
mind  that  your  pastor  selected  my  text  for  me  tonight. 
I  assure  you  it  was  unnecessary. 
•  I  am  asked  to  speak  for  ten  minutes  on  "Our  Pur- 
itan Inheritance  of  Principles."  First  of  all  we  are 
grateful  for  and  should  make  every  effort  to  preserve 
the  faith  of  our  fathers.  That  faith  which  refused 
to  be  discouraged  with  conditions  as  they  found  them 
at  home,  but  imagined  large  possibilities  in  this  new 
land.  That  faith  which  did  not  fail  them  under  the 
hardships  of  the  forest  life  in  New  England,  but 
led  to  a  greater  faith  expressed  by  our  State  motto: 
"  Qui  transtulit,  sustinet." 


30 

Again  we  are  grateful  for  their  independence, 
born  of  that  faith,  and  its  deep  convictions.  It 
led  them  at  times  into  inconsistency.  They  were 
often  obstinate  and  intolerant  in  their  zeal  for  pop- 
ular liberty.  But  the  stubbornness  and  intolerance 
were  but  by-products  in  the  process  which  has  brought 
or  is  bringing  liberty  into  all  the  world. 

One  of  our  most  valuable  inheritances  from  those 
fathers  is  the  spirit  of  progressiveness,  call  it  expan- 
sion if  you  like,  which  characterized  them.  Nothing 
could  be  more  wonderful  than  the  rapidity  with 
which  those  early  settlers  spread  out  over  these  New 
England  hills.  I  find  that  before  1700,  there  were 
thirty-four  Congregational  churches  (which  are 
still  in  existence),  in  Connecticut,  each  one  repre- 
senting a  strong  colony.  Talk  about  an  anti-ex- 
pansion movement.  Expansion  has  been  a  domi- 
nant note  in  Puritanism  from  the  beginning  and 
must  ever  remain  so.  Simsbury,  as  the  mother  of 
three  of  your  granddaughters,  East  Granby,  Granby 
and  Canton  Center,  giving  you  also  three  great- 
granddaughters,  Collins ville,  the  South  and  the 
Swedish  churches  in  Granby,  and  one  great-great- 
granddaughter,  the  Swedish  church  in  Collinsville, 
rejoices  in  her  inheritance  of  this  Puritan  spirit  of 
expansion  and  commends  it  to  her  children.  One 
feature  of  this  progressiveness  was  the  strong  mis- 
sionary spirit  which  characterized  so  markedly  our 
fathers,  has  always  characterized  our  New  England 
churches, — I  trust  ever  will  characterize  them.  Our 
modern  missionary  movement  is  part  of  our  Puritan 
inheritance.  Read  the  records  of  their  doings  before 


31 

leaving  England,  as  well  as  their  early  records  here, 
and  be  impressed  with  it. 

We  thank  them  again  for  that  spirit  of  fellowship 
which  our  Congregational  churches  have  inherited, 
which  has  not  only  been  a  beautiful  fellowship  be- 
tween the  churches  of  our  own  order,  but  has  led 
them  to  further  and  foster  interdenominational  fel- 
lowship as  I  believe  no  other  denomination  has  done. 

We  thank  them  for  that  educational  spirit  which 
placed  a  school  house  beside  every  church,  founded 
Harvard  and  Yale,  and  the  long  line  of  colleges  and 
academies  which  have  accompanied  the  descendants 
of  the  Puritans  throughout  the  United  States,  and 
with  their  missionaries  to  all  corners  of  the  earth. 
We  thank  them  for  their  shrewd  business  sense 
which  sometimes  has  led  to  that  close  fistedness  and 
false  thrift  associated  with  wooden  nutmegs — but 
generally  has  meant  a  large  and  foresighted  practi- 
cality in  State,  Church  and  home. 

I  have  said  enough.  Surely  we  have  a  goodly 
inheritance.  May  the  God  of  the  Fathers  grant  the 
people  of  this  ancient  church — and  all  those  who 
honor  her — grace  to  conserve  and  to  expand  it  in 
their  spirt. 


32 


ADDRESS  BY 

REV.  CHARLES   A.  JAQUITH 

OF  SOUTH  WINDSOR. 

GREAT  NAMES  IN  OUR  HISTORY. 


Tonight,  we  of  the  Windsor  Farms,  have  crossed 
the  Great  River  that  we  may  attend  the  services  of 
this  church  as  was  the  custom  so  many  years  ago. 
Gladly  do  we  come,  bringing  most  cordial  greetings 
from  a  daughter  church.  When  a  church  is  so  old, 
so  unsurpassingly  old,  as  is  this  Congregational 
Church  of  Windsor,  it  rightly  feels  the  responsibility 
of  holding  up  before  this  much  tempted  generation 
the  piety  and  heroism  of  an  earlier  age. 

Those  who  with  unwearied  tongue  magnify  the 
greatness  of  the  Mayflower  and  her  one  hundred  pas- 
sengers, must  this  week  hold  their  peace,  while  we 
set  forth  the  claims  of  the  Mary  and  John  and  her  one 
hundred  and  forty  passengers.  Not  all  the  early 
heroes  landed  at  Plymouth,  nor  even  Salem  and 
Boston;  some  landed  at  Nantasket  and  were  glad  to 
remove  from  Dorchester  a  few  years  later  to  settle 
in  the  beautiful  and  fertile  Connecticut  valley  at 
Windsor.  This  company  was  carefully  selected  in 
England  with  the  thought  of  being  ready  for  any  and 
all  the  requirements  of  the  American  wilderness. 
Two  clergymen  of  acknowledged  ability,  Warham 


33 

and  Maverick,  were  to  convert  the  Indians,  if  they 
were  docile,  but  if  not,  John  Mason,  who  had  fought 
with  distinction  in  the  Netherlands,  was  to  use  such 
force  as  was  necessary.  The  Psalm  book  and  the 
"big  stick"  were  both  on  board  the  Mary  and  John. 
A  lawyer,  also,  business  men  and  farmers  of  ample 
means  accompanied  the  expedition.  "They  were  a 
very  godly'  and  religious  people"  as  the  old  record 
says,  "and  many  of  them,  persons  of  figure  and  note, 
being  dignified  with  the  title  of  Mr.,  which  few  in 
those  days  were."  The  whole  company  rose  to  a 
certain  greatness  of  soul,  because  following  a  high 
ideal.  Their  work  was  crowned  with  true  success, 
"for  what  is  worth  Success'  name,  unless  it  be  the 
thought,  the  inward  surety,  to  have  carried  out  a 
noble  purpose,  to  a  noble  end?" 

It  is  not  my  task  to  speak  of  the  unremembered ; 
but  to  notice  a  few  of  the  greater  names  in  your  his- 
tory, as  we  recall  the  words  of  Carlyle:  "We  can  not 
look,  however  imperfectly,  upon  a  great  man,  with- 
out gaining  something  by  him.  He  is  the  living 
light — fountain  which  it  is  good  and  pleasant  to  be 
near." 

One  name  stands  out  conspicuously  in  the  military 
history  of  New  England.  Captain  John  Mason  was 
perhaps  the  most  renowned  military  leader  of  his 
day.  The  Indians  in  1636-7  kept  the  Connecticut 
towns  in  constant  alarm,  and  after  the  massacre  at 
Wethersfield,  the  General  Court  called  out  forty-two 
men  from  Hartford,  thirty  from  Windsor  and  eighteen 
from  Wethersfield,  to  proceed  against  the  Pequot 
Indians.  Captain  Mason  had,  however,  but  seventy- 


34 

seven  men  when  he  surprised  the  seven  hundred 
Pequots  in  their  entrenched  fort.  With  fire  and 
fire-arms  he  carried  out  David  Harum's  new  version 
of  the  Golden  Rule:  "Do  unto  others  as  they  would 
do  to  you  and  do  it  first."  The  result  was  the  Pequots 
were  annihilated  and  the  Connecticut  colonies 
enjoyed  comparative  peace  from  the  Indians  forever 
after.  Prompt,  vigorous,  and  brave,  John  Mason 
put  Connecticut  under  lasting  indebtedness  to  him. 
From  a  legal  standpoint,  too,  Windsor's  contri- 
bution was  a  large  one,  both  to  state  and  nation. 
Among  the  original  settlers  was  Roger  Ludlow,  who 
had  been  bred  to  the  law  in  England  and  was  a 
deputy-governor  in  Massachusetts,  before  leaving 
Dorchester.  When  the  freemen  of  the  three  towns 
of  Windsor,  Hartford  and  Wethersfield  met  in  Hart- 
ford, January  14,  1639,  a  constitution  was  adopted 
which  John  Fiske  says  was  "the  first  written  consti- 
tution known  to  history  that  created  a  government." 
This  famous  constitution  according  to  Stiles  was 
drawn  up  by  Roger  Ludlow,  although  the  most 
powerful  democratic  influence  in  the  settlements 
was  Thomas  Hooker.  Ludlow  has  also  been  credited 
with  being  the^  author  of  the  first  school  law  in  Con- 
necticut, wherein  is  prescribed:  "That  the  selectmen 
of  every  town  shall  have  a  vigilant  eye  over  their 
brethren  and  neighbors  to  see  first  that  none  of  them 
shall  suffer  so  much  barbarism  in  their  families  as 
not  to  endeavor  to  teach,  by  themselves  or  others, 
their  children  and  apprentices  as  may  enable  them 
perfectly  to  read  the  English  tongue."  It  also  pre- 


35 

scribed  that  any  town  of  one  hundred  families  should 
set  up  schools  able  to  fit  for  the  university. 

The  greatest  name  in  Windsor's  history — her 
greatest  contribution  to  the  nation — is  unquestionably 
Oliver  Ellsworth.  Most  highly  commendable  it  is 
that  his  home  in  Windsor  should  be  so  well  preserved, 
that  it  may  speak  to  coming  generations,  not  only  of 
the  time  long  past,  but  of  the  man  who  rendered  so 
great  service  to  our  country  in  its  early  and  formative 
period.  During  the  closing  years  of  the  Revolution 
from  1778-83,  when  the  personnel  of  the  Continental 
Congress  had  seriously  declined  in  ability  and  patri- 
otism, he  was  one  of  the  most  loyal  and  useful  mem- 
bers and  gave  the  army  support  where  it  was  sorely 
needed.  In  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1787 
his  part  was  by  no  means  a  small  one.  Hon.  Henry 
Cabot  Lodge,  in  an  address  on  Ellsworth  at  the  Yale 
Law  School  in  1902,  shows  conclusively  that  assisted 
by  Roger  Sherman,  also  of  Connecticut,  he  was 
chiefly  responsible  for  the  great  compromise  between 
the  large  and  small  states,  whereby  the  Convention 
was  saved  from  failure  and  the  present  Constitution 
proposed.  That  a  Senate  composed  of  an  equal 
number  of  members  from  each  state,  elected  by  the 
Legislatures,  was  added  to  a  House  of  Representa- 
tives, chosen  by  popular  vote,  was  due  chiefly  to  the 
wisdom  and  practical  sagacity  of  Oliver  Ellsworth. 
To  his  everlasting  honor  be  it  said,  he  performed  a 
most  important  service  at  one  of  the  most  critical 
moments  in  all  the  history  of  our  country.  As  a 
senator  under  the  Constitution  from  1789—94,  his 
influence  was  so  great  that  Aaron  Burr  said  that  "if 


36 

he  should  chance  to  spell  the  name  of  the  Deity  with 
two  d's,  it  would  take  the  Senate  three  weeks  to 
expunge  the  superfluous  letter."  John  Adams  af- 
firmed that  he  was  "one  of  the  pillars  of  Washington's 
administration."  His  greatest  service  as  Senator 
was  the  drafting  of  the  Act  upon  which  the  judicial 
system  of  the  United  States  has  rested  ever  since. 
From  1796-1800  he  held  the  highest  judicial  posi- 
tion in  the  land,  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States. 
An  important  work  in  the  negotiation  of  a  treaty 
with  France,  in  1800,  whereby  a  most  threatening 
discord  was  brought  to  a  close,  was  the  last  of  his 
services  to  the  nation.  After  some  further  service 
in  the  counsels  of  Connecticut,  he  died  here  in  Wind- 
sor, November  27,  1807.  His  identification  with 
this  church  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  was  on  the 
building  committee  in  1794  when  the  present  struc- 
ture was  erected. 

"  Pure  as  the  naked  heavens,  majestic,  free, 
So  didst  them  travel  on  life's  common  way 
In  cheerful  godliness ;  and  yet  thy  heart 
The  lowliest  duties  on  herself  did  lay." 

One  of  his  sons,  Wm.  Wolcott  Ellsworth,  governor 
1834-42,  declined  election  to  the  Senate  and  later 
was  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court. 

Such  a  contribution  to  our  legal  and  political 
history  reflects  enduring  honor  upon  this  town  and 
church. 

Time  is  lacking  for  any  extended  characterization 
of  Henry  Wolcott  and  his  illustrious  descendants. 
"One  of  the  most  influential  leaders  of  the  Connect- 
icut colony"  himself,  "  there  was  hardly  a  time  for 
the  next  two  centuries  when  a  Wolcott  was  not  in 


37 

some  post  of  trust  and  honor  in  the  service  of  the 
commonwealth."  A  grandson  named  Roger  Wolcott 
was  governor,  1751-4;  but  he  lived  in  what  is  now 
South  Windsor.  Another  descendant,  Oliver  Wol- 
cott, who  moved  to  Litchfield,  was  a  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  and  governor,  1796-7. 
His  son  was  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  and  Governor 
of  Connecticut  ten  years.  Even  in  our  own  day,  the 
family  has  produced  a  Senator  in  Colorado,  Edward 
Oliver  Wolcott,  and  a  governor  in  Massachusetts, 
Roger  Wolcott.  All  honor,  then,  to  Henry  Wolcott, 
the  sire  of  such  a  race ! 

We  can  not  omit  to  mention  the  clergy,  "those 
bold,  vigorous,  intolerant,  able  men  that  set  their 
mark  so  indelibly  upon  the  early  institutions  of 
New  England."  John  Warham,  the  first  pastor, 
was  worthy  of  that  first  generation  of  ministers. 
They  were  men  who  were  scholarly  and  idealistic 
enough  to  accumulate  libraries  equal  in  value  to 
three  or  four  year's  salary;  yet  vigorous  and  prac- 
tical enough  to  mold  the  character  and  institutions 
of  their  parishoners.  Warham  was  so  humble  as  to 
refuse  at  times  to  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
which  he  administered,  but  was  by  no  means  timid 
or  ineffectual  when  he  preached  the  Word.  Rev. 
Samuel  Mather,  pastor  of  the  church,  1684-1728, 
deserves  mention  for  his  conspicuous  ability,  as  well 
as  for  his  service  in  harmonizing  the  church  and 
adding  largely  to  its  numbers.  The  great  Jonathan 
Edwards,  whom  South  Windsor  is  proud  to  claim, 
was  descended  on  his  mother's  side  from  the  first 
pastor  of  this  church,  so  you  also  share  in  his  fame 


38 

and  indeed  you  have  some  claim  upon  all  the  great 
men  whom  the  daughter  churches  have  produced. 
Doubtless  other  names  are  deserving  of  mention 
at  my  hand ;  but  surely  those  of  whom  I  have  spoken 
are  the  choice  fruits  you  hold  up  before  us  as  your  con- 
tribution to  the  world.  Even  the  names  of  such 
men  quicken  our  pulses  and  thrill  us  with  the  thought 
of  achievement  and  service.  Great  things  were 
accomplished  by  those  men  of  old.  They  were  the 
men  who  dug  the  channels  wherein  has  flowed  the 
stream  of  New  England  history.  It  is  due  to  them 
that  we  feel  today  strongly  as  we  do  the  moral  cur- 
rents of  life.  The  preachers  expounded  the  greatest 
Book  of  all  and  proclaimed,  "This  is  the  way,  walk 
ye  in  it;"  and  so  it  came  about  that  life  amid  the 
hardships  and  simplicities  of  early  Connecticut  was 
dignified  by  a  devotion  to  principle  and  a  loyalty  to 
the  future,  which  amidst  the  highest  opportunities 
and  luxuries  of  today  can  not  be  relegated  to  a  second 
place.  In  the  succession  of  noble  patriots  you  have 
sent  out,  is  verified  Lowell's  saying: — 

"Freedom  is  re-created  year  by  year, 

In  hearts  wide  open  on  the  God- ward  side." 

We  may  smile  if  we  wish  at  the  long  sermons  and 
the  long  prayers  of  those  days,  their  scrupulous  ob- 
servance of  the  Sabbath  and  the  strictness  of  parental 
discipline,  but  there  were  produced  men  not  only  great 
in  intellect,  but  earnest  in  purpose,  pure  in  motive, 
and  noble  in  character;  and  we  have  yet  to  prove 
that  we  can  produce  the  same  results  with  less  of 
self-denial  and  religious  training. 


ADDRESS  BY 

REV.  GEORGE   L.  CLARK, 

OF  WETHERSFIELD. 

THE  UNREMEMBERED. 


It  is  my  privilege  to  speak,  not  for  your  notable 
heroes,  your  Warhams,  Ellsworths  and  Wolcotts, 
but  for  that  larger  and  no  less  important  company  of 
quiet,  modest,  gentle,  resolute,  faithful  people,  who 
have  done  most  of  the  work,  encountered  perils  hand 
to  hand  and  fought  the  battles  through  in  your  fine 
history,  and  unsung,  but  not  unwept,  dropped  into 
humble  graves.  Mr.  Lincoln  said  that  God,  must 
think  a  good  deal  of  common  people,  he  made  so  many 
of  them.  I  count  it  a  joy  to  speak,  though  unworth- 
ily, of  these  whose  obscurity  and  silence  are  more 
eloquent  than  words,  whose  deeds  have  been  wrought 
into  the  substance  of  our  history  and  our  faith,  "who 
did  great  things,  unconscious  they  were  great." 

How  seldom  we  think  of  the  thousands  who  make 
up  the  rank  and  file  of  the  army,  who  stand  on  guard 
while  officers  sleep,  who  marched  long,  weary  and 
footsore,  who  handled  flintlock  and  Winchester  with 
an  accuracy  gained  among  cornfields  and  forests. 
Few  reached  the  chair  of  professor,  judge,  or  legisla- 
ture, but  these  men  knew  how  to  milk  a  cow,  swing 
an  ax  or  scythe,  wield  rake  or  hoe,  raise  corn,  rye, 


40 

oats  and  beans,  and  how  to  face  death  with  unflinch- 
ing courage.  They  were  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the 
land  and  when  Boston  was  beleagured,  the  valley  of 
the  Connecticut  sent  its  treasures  of  grain  to  suffering 
fellow  patriots  with  a  ringing  word  of  courage,  and 
when  the  call  came  for  soldiers  the  farmers  did  not 
hesitate. 

Only  a  few  men  stand  out  in  clear  and  brilliant 
outline  on  history's  page;  it  was  the  many  lowly  and 
persistent  souls  that  cut  down  trees,  made  roads, 
held  the  ploughs,  cast  votes,  built  the  home,  church 
and  school  house  and  in  simple  faith  and  unassuming 
ways  laid  the  foundations  of  the  Republic.  Honor, 
ceaseless  honor,  to  the  self-denying,  resolute  faithful 
men,  who  in  cold  and  heat,  darkness  and  storm  and 
pain,  fought  the  good  fight  and  finished  their  course. 
Without  them  the  Shermans,  the  Hookers  and  the 
Putnams  were  a  swift  and  fleeting  dream.  Honor, 
ceaseless  honor,  to  the  plain,  straightforward  common 
people,  the  unremembered  men. 

And  what  shall  I  say  of  the  women  ?  We  read  little 
of  them  in  the  histories,  but  since  that  day  in  the 
autumn  of  1635,  when  agile  Rachael  Stiles  pushed 
ahead  of  clumsy  men,  discussing  precedence,  and  was 
the  first  of  the  bold  settlers  to  reach  the  shore,  planting 
her  foot  upon  the  soil  of  Windsor,  women  have  had 
a  large  part  in  the  struggle  with  the  wolves,  bears, 
Indians,  hardships  and  disappointments  of  New 
England.  When  the  brave  men  of  Windsor  shoul- 
dered their  muskets  or  their  rifles  and  went  against 
the  Dutch,  Narragansetts,  British  and  Rebels,  who 
were  more  dauntless  than  the  mothers,  wives  and 


41 

sisters,  who  with  sad  hearts,  yet  brave  faces,  spun 
the  yarn,  wove  the  cloth  and  made  their  butternut 
coat ;  filled  the  knapsack  and  with  a  kiss  and  a  trem- 
bling, a  thrilling  word  sent  those  men  of  nerve  on 
their  way  of  duty  and  death.  It  was  harder,  it 
required  more  patience  and  enduring  fortitude  to 
hold  fast  to  faith  and  hope  in  the  lonely  home,  through 
long,  tiresome  days  and  longer  restless  nights,  than 
to  go  out  on  an  expedition  which  demanded  grit  and 
heroism,  but  it  was  the  lot  of  women  to  stay  at  home 
and  send  prayers  to  the  God  of  Battles  and  messages 
of  strength  and  courage  to  the  brave  defenders. 

They  did  stay,  they  made  bread,  they  washed 
dishes,  made  soap,  tried  out  lard,  salted  beef,  con- 
verted crab  apples  and  golden  pumpkins  into  glorious 
pies  for  the  young  patriots  around  the  table.  How 
steadily  worked  the  old  creaking  loom;  how  swiftly 
flew  the  spinning  wheel!  They  milked  the  cows,  fed 
the  pigs,  coaxed  the  pullets  to  lay,  with  one  eye  for 
wolf  or  Indian.  When  voices  grew  harsh  who  could 
make  peace  like  a  woman?  Who  quietly  dealt  with 
the  delirium  of  stormy  adolescence?  Who  drilled 
the  catechism  into  the  children  and  made  Connecticut 
the  birthplace  of  clockmakers  and  theologians? 
What  a  roll,  the  two  Edwardses,  Hopkins,  Bellamy, 
Beecher,  Bushnell  and  Seth  Thomas.  Those  clear- 
sighted women  found  time  to  give  a  touch  of  beauty 
to  the  humble  home;  they  trained  the  sweet  honey- 
suckle about  the  door,  they  planted  the  brilliant 
hollyhock.  Said  an  orator,  "Who  were  last  at  the 
Cross  and  first  at  the  tomb?  Ladies."  So  in  our 
history,  first  and  last  in  loving  service.  Whose 


42 

pleasant  voices  mingled  with  the  rumble  and  roar  of 
their  brothers  and  lifted  old  Antioch  to  the  rafters 
and  with  glancing  eyes  from  their  high  post  beckoned 
diffident  youths  toward  Heaven?  When  the  saints 
sat  in  zero  meeting  houses  and  swallowed  frozen 
chunks  of  theology  or  patiently  watched  "ninthly" 
and  "tenthly"  pour  forth  from  the  lips  of  the  parson  in 
frosty  outline,  who  helped  the  tithingman  quiet 
restive  children  and  awakened  the  husband  who  was 
freezing  to  death;  whose  flying  fingers  had  knit  the 
many  socks  and  mittens  and  made  the  warm  coats? 
Who  fed  the  parson  in  his  pastoral  round  and  cheered 
his  drooping  spirits  with  a  good  square  meal? 

Then  the  sewing  circle.  The  tongue  of  an  angel 
were  needed  to  sing  its  praise.  Woman  was  the 
queen  of  that  kingdom  of  work  and  recreation.  It 
was  newspaper,  theater,  lyceum,  debating  club, 
business  enterprise,  market  place,  all  in  one.  It 
relieved  the  monotony  of  a  hard  grind,  scattered  the 
blues,  promoted  sociability  and  made  matches.  How 
could  the  church  exist  without  it?  When  a  carpet 
is  needed  for  the  meetinghouse  the  modern  Paul 
looks  to  Dorcas,  the  president  of  the  Ladies'  Aid. 
When  hymnbooks  are  required  for  the  upper  room  or 
the  parish  expenses  overlap  the  income  the  beloved 
Persis  knows  how  to  pry  open  the  masculine  pocket- 
book  with  a  bean  pod  or  an  oyster  shell.  Glorious 
is  chicken  pie.  Magnificent  are  baked  beans.  Mag- 
ical is  the  pumpkin  pie.  Pleasant  as  heavenly  manna 
are  jelly  and  doughnuts.  We  have  heard  of  a  church 
built  of  onions.  Many  a  chapel  has  been  decorated 
with  scalloped  oysters  and  pink  tea.  People  must 


43 

have  recreation  and  before  the  gentle  game  of  football 
arose  there  were  huskings.  But  what  were  they 
without  pretty  girls?  And  what  were  a  red  ear 
without  a  pair  of  ruby  lips  to  match  it  ? 

Good  cheer,  courage,  faith  and  love  spring  up  like 
flowers  in  the  footsteps  of  the  unremembered  women. 
Rare  is  the  life  sublime,  uninspired  by  a  good  woman. 
We  celebrate  the  prayer  meeting  at  the  famous  hay- 
stack, but  who  taught  those  college  boys  to  pray? 
The  invalid  wife  of  Wendell  Phillips  would  say  to 
the  silver  tongued  orator  as  he  shrank  from  a  severe 
encounter,  "Wendell,  don't  shally."  So  the  women 
in  the  homes  of  obscurity  equipped  their  sons  for 
occasions  which  demanded  manhood,  strength  and 
courage.  More  precious  than  rubies  in  the  story  of 
this  ancient  and  noble  Church  is  the  memory  of  the 
unremembered. 


44 


ADDRESS  BY 

MR.  EDWARD   W.  HOOKER 

OF  HARTFORD. 

THE  TRUE  USE  OF  ANCESTORS. 


It  is  eminently  fitting  that  the  First  Church  of 
Hartford  should  be  represented  on  this  occasion  and 
the  man  who  ought  to  be  here  and  speak  for  the 
church  is  its  present  pastor. 

There  is,  however,  some  doubt  as  to  the  wisdom 
and  safety  of  letting  him  come  here,  because  a  former 
minister  of  the  church  preached  his  last  sermon  on 
earth  here  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago, 
and  after  preaching  for  your  people  he  went  home, 
was  taken  sick  and  died  in  eighteen  days.  With 
this  in  mind,  it  has  seemed  best  to  send  a  member  of 
the  congregation  to  speak  a  word  for  the  Hartford 
Church  and  should  he  survive  and  not  only  return 
home  safely,  but  keep  well  for  a  few  days,  then  you 
may  expect  to  see  and  hear  from  our  Mr.  Potter,  but 
we  hesitate  about  risking  him  at  first,  for  we  dare 
not  run  the  chance  of  losing  him,  as  we  did  our  first 
pastor. 

Besides  all  this,  Mr.  Potter  is  very  busy  at  present 
studying  the  ancient  history  of  this  Church  and  of 
the  First  Church  in  Hartford,  for  one  of  the  arguments 
we  used  to  get  him  to  come  to  Hartford,  was,  that 
he  was  coming  to  the  oldest  church  in  Connecticut, 


and  now  he  is  suspicious  of  having  caught  us  in  a  lie 
and  if  it  had  not  been  for  this  celebration  of  yours, 
we  never  would  have  been  found  out.  When  he 
gets  here  next  Sunday,  that  is  if  he  finds  it  safe  and 
all  right  to  come,  he  may  surprise  you  with  proving 
that  your  Church  was  not  founded  in  1630,  but  sev- 
eral years  later  or  what  would  do  just  as  well,  he 
may  prove  that  the  Hartford  church  dates  back  to 
1629.  He  has  got  to  do  something  of  this  kind,  or 
give  up  his  pet  statement  that  he  is  "the  youngest 
minister  of  the  oldest  church  in  the  State  of  Connect- 
cut." 

This  kind  of  foolish  talk  brings  me  right  up 
to  my  subject  or  perhaps  to  the  very  opposite  of 
my  real  subject,  which  is  "The  True  Use  of  Ancestors" ; 
and  it  is  a  mighty  good  subject  too,  for  it  was  chosen 
by  your  minister  and  he  knows  what  ought  to  be 
spoken  about  here.  The  true  use  of  ancestors  is 
what  has  been  given  me  to  try  to  point  out,  and  here 
at  the  very  start  I  have  been  giving  you  an  illustration 
of  the  most  senseless  and  foolish  use  of  a  noble  inher- 
itance, that  is  a  pride  in  our  past,  simply  because  it 
is  old,  without  any  thought  or  reference  to  its  value 
in  any  way. 

When  I  was  a  boy  in  the  Hartford  High  School,  I 
knew  a  Chinaman  who  told  me  in  all  solemnity  about 
his  family ;  it  was  a  great  family  in  China ;  he  had  in 
his  home  a  complete  genealogy  for  3,500  years  with 
the  names  of  all  his  ancestors  preserved  on  stone  tab- 
lets, but  not  one  of  the  men  ever  did  anything  to 
record  or  to  improve  the  next  generation ;  they  were 
as  useless  in  helping  towards  any  real  progress  as  the 


46 

tombstones  of  our  ancestors,  and  yet  my  friend  had 
a  great  pride  in  age,  just  because  it  was  old.  Why, 
one  good  strong,  honest  man  in  Windsor  or  Hartford 
has  done  more  in  a  single  life  time  to  benefit  the  world 
than  all  of  the  dead  Chinamen  during  3,500  years, 
most  of  whom  were  born  dead  so  far  as  any  idea  of 
noble  achievement  was  concerned. 

How  easy  it  is  for  all  of  us  to  fall  into  this  pride  of 
age,  to  rejoice  because  we  can  belong  to  any  one  of 
the  patriotic  or  hereditary  societies,  to  go  to  a  dinner 
of  the  Colonial  Wars  Society  or  to  a  tea  of  the  Colo- 
nial Dames  and  while  eating  and  drinking  too  much 
for  our  own  good,  to  feel  a  vast  superiority  over  the 
descendants  of  good  and  worthy  people  who  happened 
to  come  to  this  country  only  a  little  later  than  our 
emigrant  ancestors  arrived. 

Let  us  for  a  moment  try  to  figure  up  the  size  of 
the  subject  given  me  by  looking  at  the  number  of 
our  ancestors  in  this  country;  we  all  had  one  father 
and  one  mother,  then  came  four  grandparents, 
sixteen  great-grandparents,  in  the  generation  before 
this  there  were  so  many  that  I  can't  figure  it  up  alone 
but  from  a  careful  calculation  made  for  me  by  an 
insurance  actuary,  there  must  be  about  three  thou- 
sand ancestors  if  we  go  back  nine  generations  and 
some  of  us  can  claim  as  many  as  five  thousand  an- 
cestors in  America.  It  will  evidently  be  impossible 
to  take  up  all  of  these  people  one  by  one  and  by 
examining  them  in  various  ways,  find  out  their  true 
use  for  today  and  as  most  of  them  have  been  dead 
for  at  least  a  century  we  can  hardly  expect  to  put 
them  to  any  material  use  at  present.  In  thinking 


47 

of  our  ancestors  we  usually  go  back  as  far  as  we  can 
and  jump  over  all  who  were  near  to  us  as  of  less 
consequence  than  the  pioneers  who  first  came  to 
this  country  and  founded  our  State  and  established 
our  Church. 

These  first  settlers  were  men  and  women  of  strong 
religious  convictions,  who  were  willing  to  endure 
much  of  hardship  and  danger  for  conscience  sake, 
theirs  was  a  God  of  anger  and  they  were  afraid  of 
him  and  seemed  to  think  that  God  hated  the  men  he 
had  made. 

Today  we  think  of  a  God  of  love  and  our  theology 
is  much  pleasanter  and  easier  than  was  that  of  the 
early  days  in  New  England,  but  is  not  God  the  same 
now  as  he  was  three  hundred  years  ago?  We  are 
apt  to  forget  that  God  hates  sin  today  as  much  as  he 
ever  did.  The  old  mistake  was  in  thinking  that  God 
hated  men,  when  it  was  sin  and  evil  in  men  that  were 
abhorrent  to  him ;  the  new  mistake  today  is  in  making 
the  love  of  God  so  large  as  to  include  not  only  men 
but  the  evil  in  men  as  well.  We  acknowledge  freely 
that  our  pioneer  ancestors  had  a  pretty  hard  time 
here  in  many  ways  but  we  have  harder  matters  at 
hand  today  if  we  do  our  full  duty  as  Christian  citizens. 
At  first  there  were  only  two  kinds  of  people  in  Con- 
necticut, Congregationalists  and  Heathen;  and  it 
was  only  a  little  while  before  the  Heathen  were  all 
gone,  it  was  comparatively  easy  for  our  first  settlers 
to  go  out  with  a  gun  in  one  hand  and  a  Bible  in  the 
other  and  either  kill  or  convert  the  savages,  but  now 
we  can  not  use  this  method  to  improve  the  people  of 
this  town  or  state  and  yet  it  is  more  important  today 


48 

than  ever  before,  not  only  to  preach  but  to  live  the 
truths  in  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  so  that  men  will 
believe  in  them  and  be  made  truly  better  and  nobler. 

Religious  thought  and  feeling  were  the  most 
noticeable  characteristics  of  these  first  settlers,  a 
hundred  years  later  patriotism  was  developed.  A 
new  nation  had  grown  up  and  men  were  ready  and 
willing  to  fight  for  the  country  that  they  loved. 
The  old  country  was  forgotten  by  the  men  of  this 
generation  and  they  were  proud  to  be  called  rebels 
and  traitors  to  their  king,  for  they  were  true  to  the 
only  country  that  they  acknowledged  as  their  own. 
It  was  easy  for  them  to  rush  into  battle ;  it  has  always 
been  easier  to  follow  a  great  leader  to  victory,  than 
to  do  the  small,  disagreeable  duty  that  brings  no 
glory,  no  distinction  and  has  small  visible  reward. 
We  have  no  opportunity  to  offer  our  lives  for  our 
country  but  we  all  have  a  chance  to  do  the  small 
and  disagreeable  duty  for  our  town  or  state  or  country 
and  we  are  all  needed  right  here  at  home  to  see  that 
good  and  honest  men  are  put  in  office  and  that  the 
affairs  nearest  to  us  are  honestly  and  ably  ad- 
ministered. 

Religion  and  patrotism  filled  the  lives  of  these 
generations;  in  quieter  times  men  had  an  opportun- 
ity to  turn  their  thoughts  to  what  seems  less  impor- 
tant; to  the  home  and  to  education,  but  is  not  this 
the  most  important  of  all?  From  the  home  and 
school  influence  most  of  us  are  what  we  are  today 
and  the  lives  of  the  next  generation  are  today  being 
influenced  and  guided  by  the  kind  of  homes  and 
schools  that  our  children  are  in  now.  The  foundations 


49 

for  the  future  can  only  be  firmly  established  if  the 
children  grow  up  with  a  respect  and  love  for  the 
religion  and  patrotism  of  their  fathers  and  mothers, 
for  before  they  are  old  enough  to  appreciate  the 
history  of  the  founding  of  our  country,  their  lives 
are  strongly  influenced  for  either  good  or  bad  and 
so  on  us  is  placed  the  responsibility  for  the  future. 

A  few  days  ago  I  read  "I  am  my  own  ancestor" 
and  it  did  not  mean  much  to  me,  but  it  continued  "I 
am,  what  I  am  today,  because  of  what  I  was  yester- 
day." This  expresses  in  a  personal  way  the  true  use 
of  an  inheritance,  we  build  for  the  future  on  our 
experience  of  the  past,  not  only  by  reviewing  the 
achievements  of  our  ancestors  but  also  we  get  strength 
for  tomorrow  by  what  we  are  doing  today  and  from 
what  we  were  and  from  what  we  did  yesterday. 

Religion,  patrotism  and  a  pure  home  are  our  in- 
heritance from  the  past;  for  the  future  and  to  make 
a  true  use  of  our  ancestors,  we  must  have  a  beautiful 
spirit  of  discontent  with  ourselves  and  with  what 
we  have  done.  Then  each  day  will  be  better  than 
the  one  before  and  we  can  feel  sure  of  the  future 
when  built  on  such  a  foundation. 


50 


THURSDAY   EVENING,  NOV.  23. 

9Jn  jEetttoriam, 

Rev.  GOWEN  C  WILSON. 


[The  son  of  Ira  and  Mary  Wilson  was  born  in  Booth- 
bay,  Maine,  February  8,  1833.  He  was  graduated  from 
Colby  College  in  1857.  After  teaching  High  School  for  a 
short  time  in  Hallowell,  he  entered  the  Bangor  Theological 
Seminary,  where  he  graduated  in  1861.  He  was  settled  in 
his  first  pastorate  at  Winterport  where  he  remained  five 
years.  His  pastorate  in  Windsor  began  March  2,  1866  and 
ended  in  November,  1891.  Subsequently  for  two  years  he 
served  the  Maine  Missionary  Society  as  General  Superinten- 
dent for  the  western  part  of  the  State,  when  he  was  chosen 
to  the  Superintendency  of  the  Maine  Bible  Society,  which 
position  he  held  till  his  death,  April  26,  1905.  He  was  buried 
in  the  old  Windsor  cemetery.] 

The  service  was  opened  with  Scripture  and  prayer 
by  Rev.  F.  W.  Harriman,  D.  D.  The  hymn.  "Peace, 
perfect  peace  in  this  dark  world  of  sin?"  was  sung. 

Addresses  were  made  by   Rev.   Evarts  W.    Pond 
and  Rev.   Edwin  P.    Parker,   D.    D.     Before  intro- 
ducing these  brethren  the  pastor  spoke  briefly,  as 
follows : 
Dear  Brethren  and  Friends : 

The  purpose  of  our  coming  together  this  evening 
is  one  that  strongly  appeals  to  many  people  in  this 
parish  and  community,  and  indeed  to  all  who  had 
any  acquaintance  with  our  beloved  Mr.  Wilson, 


REV.  GOWEN  C.  WILSON. 


51 

whom  we  meet  to  honor.  When  we  began  to  con- 
template having  some  special  services  commemora- 
ting the  Two  Hundred  and  Seventy-fifth  Anniversary 
of  the  Church,  the  suggestion  instantly  came  to  my 
mind  that  one  feature  of  the  program  should  be  such 
a  service  as  we  have  provided  for  this  evening.  It 
seemed  natural,  one  might  almost  say,  necessary  to 
plan  for  some  public  expression,  further  than  had 
been  made,  of  the  affection  and  loyalty  which  exist 
in  many  hearts  toward  Mr.  Wilson. 

I  have  had  opportunity  for  some  thirteen  years 
to  observe  the  quality  of  this  man's  character,  as 
well  as  his  ministry  here,  in  the  thought  and  feeling 
of  his  old  parishoners  regarding  him,  and  I  can 
testify  that  what  I  have  observed  has  been  something 
altogether  fine  to  behold.  His  living  monument  is 
the  people  to  whom  he  gave  himself  in  the  ministry  of 
the  Gospel.  Neither  his  influence  nor  the  people's  re- 
gard for  him  has  faded  out.  In  many  cases  both 
have  grown  stronger  with  years.  In  fact,  through  the 
knowledge  gained  from  those  whom  he  always  insisted 
on  calling  "my  people",  along  with  several  oppor- 
tunities for  personal  acquaintance  both  here  and  at 
his  home  in  Portland,  I  came  myself  to  have  a  good 
share  in  his  people's  esteem  for  him  and  to  reckon  him 
my  pastor  as  well  as  theirs. 

If  we  try  to  analyze  the  regard  in  which  Mr.  Wilson 
was  held,  we  find  of  how  many  strains  it  was  made 
up.  No  one  word  comprehends  it.  There  is  first 
of  all  at  the  basis  of  it  a  thoroughgoing  respect. 
How  utterly  we  respected  him!  He  was  so  entirely 
genuine.  There  was  not  a  thread  of  shoddy  in  his 


52 

make  up;  not  an  accent  of  cant  in  his  beautiful 
piety.  There  was  not  an  atom  of  sham  in  his 
thinking  or  his  spirituality. 

There  also  mingled  in  our  regard  for  him  a  strong 
admiration.  He  was  a  brave  and  heroic  man  to  the 
very  end.  While  a  wasting  disease  was  sapping  his 
physical  energies  he  kept  on  with  his  usual  work  with 
unfailing  cheerfulness  by  the  sheer  force  of  will  and 
courage.  The  fifth  Sunday  before  his  death  he  kept 
a  preaching  engagement  which  involved  a  considerable 
railroad  journey,  and  for  some  weeks  longer  continued 
to  go  to  his  office  in  Portland,  though  his  physical 
strength  was  almost  utterly  exhausted.  A  char- 
acteristic remark  of  his,  when  the  progress  of  the 
disease  seemed  to  prevail  over  his  determination  to 
keep  about  his  work,  was  this:  "I  had  thought  to 
die  like  a  man."  His  physician,  to  whom  this  remark 
was  repeated,  said  very  truly,  "He  has  lived  like  a 
man  and  he  will  die  like  a  hero."  And  so  he  did. 

But  deeper  than  all  there  is  in  the  regard  of  his 
people  whom  he  served,  both  here  and  in  Maine, 
what  we  try  to  express  in  a  little  word  of  four  letters, 
Love.  He  made  us  love  him  because  he  loved  us. 
He  used  to  say,  "I'm  in  heaven  now.  How  shall  I 
ever  get  into  heaven  unless  I  carry  heaven  along 
with  me?"  He  was  a  man  who  had  already  passed 
from  death  unto  life  "because  he  loved  the  brethren." 


ADDRESS  BY 

REV.  EVARTS  W.  POND 

OF  WINDSOR  LOCKS. 


I  esteem  it  a  great  privilege  to  add  my  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  my  beloved  friend  and  councilor, 
Rev.  Gowen  C.  Wilson.  My  association  with  him 
was  not  long,  but  the  circumstances  which  brought 
us  together  and  the  work  in  which  we  were  engaged 
was  of  such  an  unusual  character  that  the  impression 
his  beautiful  spirit  made  upon  me  I  shall  never  forget 
and  his  wise  council  I  shall  always  recall. 

Possibly  I  may  be  allowed  to  state  that  the  in- 
genious explanation  which  I  chanced  to  overhear  one 
of  you  giving,  namely,  that  Evarts  Wilson  Pond 
was  evidently  a  relative  of  Mr.  Wilson  and  is  therefore 
asked  to  speak  on  the  occasion,  is  quite  untrue.  I 
have  been  asked  to  speak  on  this  occasion  because 
it  chanced  that  I  was  associated  with  Mr.  Wilson  in 
his  work  in  Maine  after  he  had  closed  his  long  pasto- 
rate with  you  and  had  taken  up  his  work  in  the  Pine 
Tree  State. 

It  came  about  in  this  wise.  In  the  summer  of 
1894,  being  then  a  student  in  Yale  Divinity  School, 
I  received  a  four  months'  appointment  to  the  church 
in  Albany,  Me.  The  appointment  came  through  the 
Maine  Missionary  Society  of  which  Dr.  J.  E.  Adams, 


54 

of  blessed  memory  was  the  secretary  and  Rev. 
Gowen  C.  Wilson  was  the  newly  appointed  mis- 
sionary-at-large  for  western  Maine.  I  remember 
well  the  letter  appointing  me  to  this  Albany  church 
for  the  summer.  Secretary  Adams  was  a  classmate 
of  my  father  and  a  life-long  friend  of  our  family  and 
he  stated  in  his  letter  that  if  I  was  of  good  health 
and  good  courage  I  might  include  in  my  parish  East 
Stoneham,  which  lies  in  the  valley  to  the  west. 
"That  town,"  he  added,  "is  at  present  the  Sodom 
of  Maine;  if  you  can  do  anything  there  I  will  have 
our  Mr.  Wilson  put  in  as  much  of  his  time  as  possible 
with  you."  I  had  the  health,  and  a  courage  born  of 
inexperience  and  soon  I  invaded  the  Sodom  of  Maine 
and  later  was  joined  by  Mr.  Wilson. 

Now  if  I  take  a  few  moments  to  describe  this  people 
and  this  work  I  do  it  because  I  assume  that  you  are 
interested  to  know  something  of  the  life  to  which 
Mr.  Wilson  devoted  himself  at  this  time.  I  know 
nothing  of  the  circumstances  which  led  to  his  ac- 
cepting this  most  arduous  task.  I  only  know  that 
the  search  for  such  a  man  had  been  long  on  the  part 
of  the  Maine  Missionary  Society  and  that  his  advent 
as  missionary-at-large  into  that  region  was  a  great 
and  lasting  blessing  to  a  very  large  number  of  people 
who  came  to  know  and  love  him. 

East  Stoneham,  the  scene  of  our  labors,  is  fifteen 
miles  from  the  railroad;  isolation  always  tends  to 
produce  degradation,  whether  that  isolation  is  caused 
by  the  encircling  expanse  of  water  as  in  the  islands 
of  the  southern  sea  or  by  the  encircling  vastness  of 
the  forest.  For  generations  the  isolation  of  the  forest 


55 

had  been  producing  degradation  in  this  region.  It 
was  not  only  an  absolutely  churchless,  and  an  equally 
Sunday  less  community,  as  we  hold  Sunday,  but  it 
was  openly  and  shamelessly  immoral.  The  business 
of  the  community  was,  of  course,  lumber.  The  Maine 
settlement  at  East  Stoneham  was  a  center  from 
which,  like  the  fingers  of  a  hand,  the  roads  reached 
back  north  and  west  further  into  the  woods.  At 
the  end  of  the  road  were  the  lumber  camps  and  here 
"Ralph  Connor"  conditions  prevailed.  Add  to 
these  conditions  the  fact  that  Maine's  famous  pro- 
hibition law  is  always  powerless  to  enforce  itself,  and 
there  was  no  one  there  enforcing  it,  I  can  leave  to 
your  imagination  the  state  of  affairs  with  which  we 
were  confronted. 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  tell  you  the  story  of  the 
next  two  years  save  in  briefest  outline.  To  show 
you  how  absolutely  dependent  upon  the  visits  of 
Mr.  Wilson  I  was,  I  need  only  ask  you  to  imagine 
this  situation:  After  my  second  visit  to  the  town  at 
the  close  of  a  preaching  service  in  the  town  hall  I 
asked  all  interested  in  establishing  a  Sunday  school 
to  remain.  About  125  remained,  but  no  one  would 
or  could  teach  a  class.  Ultimately  it  was  arranged 
that  the  lesson  should  be  taught  at  a  mid-week  service 
to  a  dozen  teachers  who  were  to  take  charge  of  the 
classes  on  Sunday. 

Mr.  Wilson's  mature  wisdom  was  invaluable  that 
first  summer.  He  could  not  be  there  all  the  time, 
but  he  kept  closely  in  touch  with  me  wherever  he 
was.  He  advised  that  the  chief  reliance  be  laid  upon 
personal  visitation  in  the  homes  of  the  people  and 


56 

when  he  could  be  there  we  visited  these  homes  togeth- 
er. You,  whose  pastor  he  was  for  so  many  years 
know  how  great  was  his  sympathy,  how  tender  and 
tactful,  yet  how  compelling,  was  his  word.  We 
saluted  no  man  by  the  way.  Ours  was  the  message 
of  the  gospel. 

A  theological  seminary  course  consists  of  a  three 
year  course  of  study.  The  two  long  summer  vaca- 
tions are  usually  spent  by  the  student  in  some  prac- 
tical work.  Happy  is  that  student  whose  privilege 
it  is  to  see  the  gospel  do  its  work  in  the  hearts  of  men, 
and  thrice  happy  is  he  whose  lot  it  is  to  be  taught 
pastoral  visitation  by  such  a  master  as  was  Mr.  Wilson. 
Often  times  I  have  recalled  some  of  those  visits 
when  I  have  read  the  fourth  chapter  of  John,  for  as 
Jesus  spake  the  truth  to  the  women  at  Sychar's  well, 
so  directly,  yet  kindly  and  tenderly,  did  Mr.  Wilson 
face  the  truth  and  reach  results.  The  church  which 
now  stands  in  that  community  has  many  members 
whose  knowledge  of  Christ  came  to  them  through  his 
ministration. 

That  first  summer  from  which  time  the  good  people 
of  Stoneham  date  the  birth  of  what  they  term  New 
Stoneham,  that  first  summer  had  its  humorous  side 
also.  I  hope  I  shall  not  appear  to  be  wandering 
from  my  theme  if  I  speak  of  the  way  in  which  Mr. 
Wilson  by  the  exercise  of  his  rare  tact  overcame  a 
difficulty  which  threatened  for  the  moment  to  make 
further  progress  impossible.  We  learned  after  three 
weeks'  labor  in  this  region  that  an  Advent  church 
in  a  town  some  eight  miles  distant  regarded  this  as 
their  territory.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  Advents  ever 


57 


would  have  gone  near  the  region  again  had  they  not 
heard  that  the  Congregationalists  had  come  in  and 
were  beginning  a  work.  They  had  recently  hired  a 
man  who  chanced  to  be  passing  that  way  and  made 
him  their  minister.  This  man  they  sent  over  to 
Stoneham.  He  was  looking  for  trouble.  Mr.  Wilson 
and  I  chanced  to  meet  him  on  the  occasion  of  his 
second  visit  to  the  town.  We  were  walking  along 
a  woody  road  making  our  visits.  The  man  who  met 
us  was  driving  a  broken  down  rig  typical  of  the  region. 
He  introduced  himself  and  made  known  his  errand 
and  was  beginning  to  give  us  his  opinion  of  us  when 
Mr.  Wilson  took  the  conversation  into  his  own  hands. 
We  spent  over  an  hour  talking  together.  Time  was 
precious,  but  still  that  hour  was  well  spent.  Did 
time  permit  I  could  tell  you  of  that  interview  and 
you  would,  I  doubt  not,  recognize  the  tactful,  genial, 
conciliating  spirit  which  must  have  characterized  his 
long  pastorate  in  your  midst.  Mr.  Wilson  easily 
persuaded  his  Advent  preacher  to  talk  about  himself 
and  his  own  affairs.  His  salary  it  appeared  was  87 
cents  a  day  and  his  potatoes.  The  stipulation  was 
in  this  unique  form  (I  afterward  learned)  in  order 
that  at  sundown  of  any  day  the  brethren  saw  fit 
the  relationship  of  pastor  and  people  might  cease. 
The  man  was  woefully  ignorant  and  somewhat  broken 
in  mind.  Mr.  Wilson  made  a  friend  of  him  and 
though  we  saw  something  of  him  later  our  work  was 
unhindered  by  him.  Indeed  this  man  afforded  us 
an  unfailing  source  of  amusement  by  the  ostenta- 
tious welcome  which  on  all  public  occasions  he  gave 
us  into  his  territory. 


58 

During  the  second  summer  Mr.  Wilson  visited  me 
less  frequently,  but  as  the  work  began  to  material- 
ize into  tangible  form  I  found  myself  relying  upon 
his  good  judgment  more  and  more.  I  had  interested 
New  Haven  people  during  the  year  in  that  destitute 
region  and  during  this  second  summer  a  church  was 
organized  and  a  building  built,  furnished  and  dedi- 
cated free  of  debt,  and  twenty-six  members  were 
baptized.  Taken  up  as  was  my  time  with  details  of 
the  work  of  building  and  the  raising  of  funds,  I  came 
to  look  forward  to  Mr.  Wilson's  visits.  They  were 
the  moments  of  rest  when  I  could  pause  and  think 
what  we  really  were  doing.  I  have  spent  a  little  time 
in  this  region  since  those  student  days  and  I  find  that 
Mr.  Wilson's  words  had  sunk  deep  into  the  hearts  of 
these  people.  Had  it  been  possible  for  all  who  loved 
him  in  western  Maine  for  his  ministry  in  their  midst 
to  have  sent  some  token  of  their  love  at  the  time  of  his 
burial  here  you  all  would  have  seen  how  faithful  had 
been  his  service,  how  blessed  had  been  his  efforts 
and  how  great  his  reward. 

My  last  word  must  be  a  personal  one.  The  day  of 
the  dedication  of  the  church  in  Stoneham  was  a  great 
day  for  the  town  and  for  those  who  had  entered  the 
Christian  life.  Two  days  following  the  new  members 
of  the  church  were  baptised.  Some  of  them  preferred 
the  method  of  immersion.  Of  course  I  complied  with 
their  wishes,  but  a  two  mile  ride  in  late  September 
weather  before  dry  clothes  were  available  resulted  in 
a  serious  illness.  It  was  again  Mr.  Wilson  who  ap- 
peared. He  took  me  to  his  home  in  Woodfords  and 
ultimately  sent  me  on  to  New  Haven.  This  was  the 


59 

last  time  I  saw  Mr.  Wilson,  ten  years  ago  this  fall.  I 
had  associated  him  entirely  with  Maine  and  had  for- 
gotten if  I  ever  knew  he  had  lived  in  Windsor.  It  was 
thus  with  a  real  sense  of  grief  and  disappointment 
when  I  learned  on  the  day  after  his  burial  that  my 
good  friend  and  councilor,  my  associate  and  my 
teacher,  had  been  laid  to  rest  in  Windsor.  Gladly 
would  I  have  paid  this  tribute  at  that  time  and  I  es- 
teem it  a  privilege  that  at  this  time  I  could  bear  this 
testimony  to  his  gracious  memory. 


60 


ADDRESS  BY 

REV.  EDWIN   P.  PARKER,  D.D. 

OF  HARTFORD. 


By  the  invitation  of  your  pastor,  I  am  here  tonight 
to  say  a  few  words,  in  all  simplicity  and  sincerity, 
concerning  your  former  pastor,  Mr.  Wilson,  who  was 
worthy  of  your  affectionate  remembrance  and  grateful 
commemoration.  My  invitation  was  owing  to  the 
fact  that  between  Mr.  Wilson  and  myself  there 
existed  somewhat  intimate  relations  of  personal 
friendship  through  many  years.  The  same  was  true 
of  Mr.  Wilson  and  my  honored  father.  They  were 
for  some  years  near  neighbors  in  the  gospel  ministry 
in  Maine,  and  they  sustained  relations  of  mutual 
esteem,  confidence  and  affection.  This  was  known 
to  me,  and  when  Brother  Wilson  came  from  Maine 
to  minister  in  this  church  so  near  to  my  own  field  of 
labor,  my  heart  was  at  once  opened  to  him  in  hospi- 
tality. We  met  and  cultivated  each  the  other,  as 
perhaps,  but  for  the  reason  now  given,  we  might  not 
have  done. 

The  man  whom  my  father  honored,  trusted,  and 
loved,  for  his  character  and  works'  sake,  was  a  man, 
I  knew,  all  worthy  of  my  own  confidence  and  affection. 
So,  upon  personal  acquaintance,  I  found  him  to  be, 
and  more  and  more,  on  closer  acquaintance.  It  is 
possible  that  we  were  not  always  perfectly  agreed  in 


61 

our  views  and  opinions,  but  if  we  had  any  disagree- 
ments they  never  disturbed  our  fellowship,  and  were 
only  like  bubbles  that  break  upon  the  surface  of 
still  waters.  For  he  was  a  most  tolerant  and  chari- 
table man,  and  ever  minded  the  great  things  in  which 
we  have  agreement,  and  which  are  the  basis  of 
fellowship,  much  more  than  the  superficial  things  in 
which  differences  subsist.  He  had  his  creed,  but 
never  thought  of  misusing  it  as  a  cudgel  for  com- 
pulsion or  as  a  bar  for  exclusion.  Christianity  was 
to  him  a  law  of  the  spirit  of  life,  and  character  was 
more  than  creed. 

One  does  not  quite  like  to  dissect  the  character  of 
a  friend,  but  I  may  specify  some  other  qualities 
characteristic  of  him  as  a  man  and  minister,  some  of 
the  chief  ingredients  of  that  goodness  which  we  all 
recognized  and  revered  in  him.  He  was  a  thoroughly 
sincere  and  honest  man,  intellectually  and  morally. 
He  could  not  face  two  ways,  nor  be  double- 
minded.  There  was  neither  duplicity  nor  affectation 
in  him.  He  did  not  pretend  to  believe  what  he  did 
not  believe.  In  thought  and  action  he  moved  right 
on.  Therefore  he  secured  the  confidence  and  the 
respect  of  all  people  with  whom  he  had  to  do,  and 
was  felt  to  be  stable  and  trustworthy  in  all  his  ways. 

He  was  a  man  of  tender  and  broad  sympathies. 
He  had  a  large  and  warm  heart  in  his  manly  bosom. 
This  you  knew  by  his  cordial  greetings, by  the  pressures 
of  his  hand,  by  the  tones  of  his  voice,  and  by  the 
kindlings  of  his  rugged  countenance,  all  which  things 
carried  in  them  the  assurance  of  genuineness.  But 
you  knew  it  best  by  intercourse  with  him,  by  his 


62 

ministrations,  by  his  habitual  conduct.  His  was  a 
great  human-heartedness  and  brotherly  kindness. 
Therefore  people  came  to  have  an  interest  in  him, 
perceiving  his  interest  in  them  and  his  sympathy 
with  them. 

He  was  a  faithful  and  devoted  man  who  strove 
diligently  to  be  worthy  of  his  high  and  holy  calling. 
He  put  his  heart  into  his  work;  and  his  work,  as  he 
conceived  it  to  be,  comprehended  all  that  pertains 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community.  While  he  was 
here  in  Windsor,  no  church  in  this  whole  region  had 
a  minister  more  consecrated  to  its  service,  and  to 
the  service  of  the  community,  than  he  was.  This 
was  the  universal  feeling  concerning  him  among 
us  all  who  were  his  neighbors.  He  did  not  idle. 
He  did  not  fritter  away  his  time.  He  did  not  in- 
dulge himself  in  diversions.  He  labored  indus- 
triously in  the  Gospel  for  the  welfare  and  peace 
of  the  people  committed  to  his  charge.  This  was 
especially  true  of  him  in  his  pastoral  work.  He 
shepherded  this  flock,  not  driving  them  on  before 
him,  but  going  before  and  leading  them  on.  This  is 
my  fragrant  recollection  of  him  in  this  parish. 

He  was  a  modest  man,  serving  the  Lord  in  humil- 
ity of  spirit.  Of  some  persons  we  say,  they  are  too 
self-conscious.  They  seem  too  much  aware  of  virtue 
or  ability  and  are  incapable  of  self-forgetfulness.  The 
Ego  is  foremost  with  them.  No  one  ever  thought  any 
such  thing  of  Mr.  Wilson.  It  was  his  merit,  perhaps, 
that  he  was  almost  too  modest  in  self -estimation, 
too  unforward  and  self-effacing.  He  seemed  to  think 
chiefly  of  what  it  became  him  to  do  and  to  be,  and 


63 

to  have  no  consciousness  of  how  becoming  he  was, 
or  of  the  fine  figure  he  made  in  what  he  did  and  was. 
On  this  account,  being  also  a  man  of  singularly 
sound  judgment,  whenever  he  was  called  up  or  forth 
to  speak  or  act,  his  words  had  weight,  and  what  he 
did  was  appreciated.  Probably  he  might  have 
occupied  positions  of  greater  prominence  in  his 
profession  had  he  cared  to  be  more  aggressive  in 
his  own  behalf,  but  he  had  not  the  disposition  so  to 
do,  while  anything  savoring  of  an  exhibition  or 
advertisement  of  himself  would  have  been  abhorrent 
to  his  gentle  nature.  He  may  have  under-estimated 
his  own  abilities,  but  we  all  respected  and  loved  him 
the  more  on  that  account,  especially  as  it  was  obvious 
that  he  ever  cherished  a  fine  and  manly  self-respect. 
He  was  a  godly  man,  devout,  reverent,  spiritually- 
minded,  and  in  communication  with  divine  things. 
He  was  filial  in  spirit  towards  God,  and  so  fraternal 
in  spirit  among  men.  I  have  known  few  ministers 
who  seemed  to  me  more  deeply  and  truly  religious 
than  he  was.  There  was  a  certain  sanctity  in  him 
but  not  a  trace  of  sanctimony.  Therefore  to  be 
in  his  company  and  atmosphere  was  profitable. 
Unless  I  am  mistaken,  Mr.  Wilson  had  not  by  nature 
a  joyous  temperament,  but  was  subject  to  infirmity 
in  depression  of  spirits,  now  and  then,  as  many  of 
the  saints  of  Puritan  lineage  have  been,  and  yet  I 
recall  how  keenly  he  relished  mirth  and  wit  in  their 
place,  and  what  a  quiet  humor  he  had,  and  how  a 
clever  joke  or  bright  anecdote  amused  him,  and  how 
cheerful,  on  the  whole,  he  ever  was  in  our  company. 
He  kept  his  troubles  to  himself,  and  lightened  his 


64 

own  burdens  by  bearing  those  of  others,  and  was 
a  helper  and  not  in  the  least  a  discourager  of  others. 

The  book  of  Lamentations  was  not  a  favorite  with 
him.  He  was  a  reasonable  optimist,  as  every  Chris- 
tian should  be.  He  lived  a  plain,  simple,  honest, 
righteous,  godly  and  sober  life.  He  exercised  a 
diligent,  faithful  ministry,  in  all  humility,  docility 
and  devotion  of  spirit.  He  never  knew  how  much 
he  was  esteemed  and  beloved,  nor  how  much  good  he 
did  in  the  world.  This  Church  and  parish,  may  have 
had,  in  the  long  course  of  their  history,  abler  ministers 
— I  know  not  about  that — but  they  have  never  had 
and  are  never  likely  to  have  a  better  than  he  was. 

It  does  not  seem  to  me  worth  while  to  use  more 
time  or  words  here  concerning  him.  What  I  have 
said  already  is  enough,  if  true,  and  it  is  true.  These 
things  I  could  have  said  in  his  own  presence,  except 
that  his  beautiful  modesty  would  have  forbidden  it. 
I  suppose  he  had  some  faults,  but  if  I  ever  knew  them 
I  do  not  recollect  them.  Like  Enoch,  he  walked  with 
God,  and  was  not,  for  God  took  him.  But  the  fra- 
grance of  his  life  and  memory  and  ministry  is  still 
sweet  among  you  and  among  all  his  brethren.  It  is 
perhaps  the  highest  tribute  that  we  can  or  do  give 
him,  that  so  often  as  we  call  him  to  remembrance, 
it  is  with  the  wish  in  our  hearts  that  we  were  more 
like  him  in  the  essential  things  of  spirit  and  of 
character. 


65 


SUNDAY,   NOVEMBER   26. 


Motto  for  the  day:  "Therefore  let  us  also,  seeing  we  are 
compassed  about  with  so  great  a  cloud  of  witnesses,  lay  aside 
every  weight,  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset  us,  and  let 
us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before  us." — Heb.  12 :  i. 


MORINIING, 

ORDER  OF  WORSHIP: 

Prelude. 

Doxology. 

Invocation. 

Anthem — Te  Deum  in  E  flat,  Buck. 

Psalter. 

Hymn— 1288. 

Scripture  Lesson — Eph.,  II. 

Prayer  by  the  Pastor. 

Hymn— 1172. 

Offering. 

Sermon    by    Prof.    Clark    S.    Beardslee,    D.    D. 

Subject,  "The  Church  To-day." 
Anthem — Rejoice  with  Jerusalem,  Page. 

Prayer  and  benediction. 


66 


SERMON  BY 

PROF.  CLARK   S.  BEARDSLEE,  D.D. 

OF  WINDSOR. 

THE  CHURCH  TODAY. 


Here  is  a  vast  theme;  voices  of  many  ages  and 
climes  clamor  to  be  heard;  the  moments  at  our 
command  are  hung  on  flitting  wings;  and  speech  is 
a  clumsy  instrument.  All  of  you  who  are  posed  for 
listening  need  to  lend  a  lively  and  far-ranging  imag- 
ination to  abundantly  supplement  what  any  speaker 
can  avail  to  say.  As  at  once  an  atmosphere,  and  a 
background  and  an  outline  of  thought,  let  us  employ 
this  ancient  lyric  of  Hebrew  praise,  the  forty-eighth 
Psalm.  Here  are  the  essential  marks  of  the  church 
today,  though  nicely  phrased  to  portray  the  Zion 
of  the  far-ancient  Hebrew  past. 
Jehovah  is  majestic,  and  hallelujahs  become  him 

well, 

In  the  city  of  our  God,  the  mountain  of  his  holiness, 
Fair  for  elevation,  the  delight  of  the  whole  earth — 
Mount  Zion,  the  headland  of  the  North,  the  city  of 

the  great  king. 

In  her  palaces  God  is  known  for  a  refuge. 
For  lo,   the  kings   are   assembled;  they  pass   along 

together ; 

They  look;  so  they  wonder;  they  fear;  they  fly. 
Terror  grapples   them  there;  writhing  as  of  a  trav- 
ailing woman. 


67 

By   the  east  wind  thou  shatterest  merchantmen  of 

Tarshish. 
As  we  have  heard,  so  have  we  seen  in  the  city  of  the 

Lord  of  hosts,  in  the  city  of  our  God. 
God  is  confirming  her  forever. 
We  ponder,  O  God,  thy  loving-kindness  in  the  midst 

of  thy  temple. 
As  thy  name,  O  God,  so  are  thy  hallelujahs  at  the  ends 

of  the  earth. 

Thy  right  hand  is  filled  with  righteousness. 
Mount  Zion  is  glad;  the  daughters  of  Judah  exult 

because  of  thy  judgments. 
Walk  about  Zion,  and  encircle  her; 
Make  a  list  of  her  majestic  towers ; 
Consider  attentively  her  resources ; 
Distinguish  her  palaces ; 

That  ye  may  recite  it  to  the  generation  following. 
For  this  God  is  our  God  forever  and  ever. 
He  will  be  our  guide  at  death. 

Here  is  something  commanding  our  eye  at  the  very 
start.  The  church  today  and  the  Zion  of  the  Psalm- 
ist are  deeply  one.  The  glory  of  each  is  flashed  from 
a  single  poetic  strain ;  the  music  of  each  alike  is  fully 
resonant  from  the  same  lyric  of  religious  praise. 
The  songs  in  which  our  hearts  unite  in  this  anniver- 
sary time,  even  though  our  share  therein  is  limited 
to  a  single  fleeting  hour,  are  mellow  and  sacred  with 
a  hoary  age.  This  Psalm  outdates  the  Odes  of 
Pindar;  it  antedates  the  Parthenon.  Its  lambent 
eye  surveyed  the  career  of  Alexander.  It  has  seen 
all  the  power  and  splendor  and  pride  of  mighty  Rome 
swell  and  fail.  When  the  Crusades  flashed  out  in 
their  surrounding  night,  this  Psalm  had  been  shining 
evenly  for  more  than  a  millennium.  The  arching 
history  of  this  fair  ode  to  Zion  overspreads  the  whole 


68 

career  of  Christendom.  And  still  its  tuneful  strains 
are  congenial  melodies  everywhere  among  the  choicest 
harmonies  of  worshipping  Christianity.  This  shows 
the  church  today  to  be  no  parvenu,  no  boastful, 
unapproved  pretender.  She  has  a  goodly  lineage. 
She  is  freighted  with  a  priceless  heritage,  accumu- 
lated and  cherished  out  of  teeming  centuries  of  human 
life.  The  church  today  stands  tested  and  approved. 
She  has  weathered  every  sort  of  storm,  outlived 
every  kind  of  warfare,  silenced  every  type  of  chal- 
lenge, and  stands  today  under  the  unflecked  banner 
of  this  goodly,  ancient  Psalm,  with  the  very  beauty 
of  heaven  upon  her  open  brow,  and  the  song  of 
perennial  rejoicing  in  her  indomitable  and  kindly 
heart.  This  choice  truth  we  may  lodge  and  cherish 
in  our  thought: — all  the  goodly  record  of  our  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  years,  with  all  its  stimu- 
lation of  our  grateful  pride,  is  literally  but  a  single 
tithe  of  the  far  ampler  record  of  that  larger  fellow- 
ship in  the  Zion  of  God  in  which  we  may  have  free 
share.  This  precious  truth  this  precious  Psalm 
distinctly  attests 

Herein  stands  forth  to  view  the  Church's  unity. 
Zion  is  forever  one.  One  Israel,  one  Jehovah,  one 
Jerusalem,  one  Temple,  one  Psalter  of  praise.  Such 
is  Zion,  and  forever  and  unchangeably  the  same  is 
the  Church  of  Christ.  It  is  not  the  Church  of  Luther. 
It  is  not  the  Church  of  Wesley.  It  is  not  the  Church 
of  Rome.  It  is  not  the  Established;  nor  is  it  the 
Nonconformed.  This  Church  in  which  our  names 
are  registered  is  not  a  sect.  It  is  Zion,  the  City  of 
the  Great  King.  Men  forever  and  everywhere 


voice  complaints  against  the  Church,  meaning,  as  a 
rule,  some  limited  sect  of  some  local,  mortal  group  of 
men.  But  all  such  jibes  are  misdirected;  and  they 
always  miss  the  mark.  We  who  live  and  cluster  in 
our  narrow  time  and  sphere  within  these  sheltering 
walls  are  not  the  Zion  of  God.  Our  lives  are  flecked 
with  humbling  blemishes.  But  the  Church  is  all- 
glorious.  The  marks  of  Zion  are  the  glorious  traits 
of  God;  and  so  through  all  the  changing  centuries, 
embracing  all  our  sects  and  purging  all  our  sins, 
Zion  stands  undivided  and  undimmed,  the  fair  and 
complete  reflection  of  the  holy  unity  of  God.  In 
the  light  of  these  reflections  consider  the  intrinsic 
characteristics  of  the  Church  today. 

1.  Zion  stands  for  Rectitude.  The  right  hand 
of  our  God,  so  this  Psalm  proclaims,  is  full  of  right- 
eousness. "Full  of  righteousness."  Here  is  some- 
thing for  all  humanity  to  observe.  Here  is  no 
flinching.  This  is  no  note  of  easy,  ethical  indifference. 
It  is  a  sovereign,  outright  note,  ancient  and 
enduring  as  the  sun,  at  once  an  ideal,  an  order, 
a  standard,  a  warning,  and  an  award.  As  solid  as 
is  equity,  so  solid  is  Zion.  As  beautiful  as  is  fidelity, 
so  beautiful  is  Zion.  As  unanswerable  as  is  truth, 
so  unanswerable  is  Zion.  As  sovereign  as  is  justice, 
so  sovereign  is  Zion.  As  prevailing  as  is  sincerity, 
so  prevailing  is  Zion.  Her  King's  right  hand  is  full 
of  righteousness.  This  means  the  proposition  of 
even  honor  everywhere.  Children  must  be  filial, 
brothers  must  be  fraternal,  neighbors  must  be 
obliging,  women  must  be  pure,  men  must  have 
honor,  courts  must  be  fair,  markets  must  be  frank, 


70 

commerce  must  be  humane,  altars  must  be  holy, 
beneficiaries  must  be  thankful,  subjects  must  be 
humble,  all  men  must  always  be  true. 

Conversely,  unrighteousness  will  be  omnipotently 
rebuked.  Pretense  and  hypocrisy  and  lies  shall  be 
uncovered.  Greed  and  extortion  and  theft  shall 
irresistibly  be  brought  home.  Disobedience  and 
ingratitude  and  pride  shall  be  smitten  full  in  the 
face.  False  judgment  and  false  weights  and  false 
speech  must  all  be  made  good.  Men  must  be  honest. 
Boys  must  be  fair.  Cheating  is  wrong.  Cruelty 
must  stop.  Blasphemy  is  a  sin.  All  iniquity  is  a 
disgrace.  Wrongs  must  be  set  right. 

These  are  the  declarations  of  Zion.  clear  as  a  bell 
every  one,  insistent,  robust.  She  is  a  tireless,  eternal, 
invincible  herald  of  honesty.  She  is  replete  with 
righteousness. 

2.  Zion  keeps  bright  the  testimonials  of  Jehovah's 
loving-kindness.  "We  have  thought  of  thy  loving- 
kindness,  O  God,  in  the  midst  of  thy  temple."  Zion 
keeps  fragrant  among  men  the  memories  of  the  good- 
ness of  God.  Every  year  (this  is  her  published 
ideal)  she  stands  among  God's  harvest  fields,  offering 
up  to  the  all-pitying  Father  the  first-fruits  of  the 
fields,  in  appealing  summons  to  all  dependent  men 
to  unite  as  a  race  in  thank-offering  and  praise  to  God. 
Zion,  in  her  daily  prayer  keeps  green  upon  the  earth 
the  precious  facts  of  the  heavenly  Father's  daily  care. 
Every  altar  and  sacrifice  of  Zion  is  an  eloquent 
report  to  human  ears  of  the  redeeming  mercy  of  the 
Lord.  It  is  in  Zion  that  all  the  power  of  the  all- 
embracing  love  of  God  in  Jesus  Christ  is  unveiled. 


71 

Zion  alone  hath  salvation.  In  Zion  only  hath  an 
availing  Saviour  appeared.  Jesus  Christ  is  Zion's 
true-born  King.  By  him  the  paralytic  is  healed, 
and  the  harlot  and  publican  and  thief  accompanied 
into  Paradise.  In  the  midst  of  the  temple  of  Zion 
alone,  but  in  the  midst  of  the  temple  of  Zion  forever- 
more,  is  this  transcendent  verity  kept  resounding  in 
the  earth.  The  altar  of  Zion  has  become  a  throne, 
where  saving  mercy  reigns  supreme.  The  Church 
today  is  keeping  alive  in  earth  an  everlasting  memorial 
of  the  redeeming  love  of  God. 

3.  Zion  has  a  reverend  Majesty.  It  is  the  city 
of  a  King.  It  stands  in  all  the  earth  supreme.  Its 
ascendency  is  unapproachable.  Other  majesties  have 
often  dared  to  challenge  the  majesty  of  God,  parading 
before  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  with  their  proudest 
combination  of  power  and  glory  and  renown.  "Kings 
passed  by."  But  he  who  rides  upon  the  clouds,  and 
circumscribes  the  seas,  and  marshalls  forth  the  stars, 
eclipses  all  their  brightness  easily.  "They  saw,  they 
marvelled,  they  fled."  Zion's  righteousness  and 
grace,  the  twin  virtues  of  the  infinite  and  holy  God, 
outrank,  overtop,  and  out-last  all  rivals.  And  being 
the  city  of  such  a  King,  Zion  is  a  home  of  palaces. 
All  her  citizens  are  of  royal  blood.  "Consider  her 
palaces."  Mark  that  plural.  The  followers  of  Christ 
sit  upon  thrones.  The  faithful  among  his  stewards 
are  stationed  over  cities.  Here  is  the  true  cosmopo- 
lis.  Its  one  scepter  of  righteousness,  its  one  altar 
of  world-saving  mercy,  its  throne  of  Jehovah  com- 
bine to  constitute  it  irrepealably  sovereign.  Thus 
Zion  hath  an  irreducible  majesty.  Her  inwrought, 


72 

agelong  plea  for  righteousness,  and  her  proffer  of 
saving  grace  have  contributed  to  her  an  intrinsic 
dignity  with  which  no  other  dignity  on  earth  can 
ever  compare. 

4.  Zion  has  free  share  in  God's  Invincibility. 
God's  fellowship  within  her  walls  imparts  to  her  being 
his  immortality.  He  "establishes  her  forever." 
He  is  "her  God  forever  and  ever."  The  home  of  His 
righteousness  and  the  object  of  His  love,  she  can  never 
pass  under  the  sway  of  death.  Citizens  of  such  a 
city  carry  an  impenetrable  shield.  Walls  built  from 
quarries  of  truth  are  impregnable.  There  is  no  dis- 
lodging such  as  find  refuge  in  God,  though  they  be 
the  least  of  earth's  little  ones.  Truth  and  grace  are 
royal,  dominant,  eternal,  beyond  all  reach  of  humil- 
iation or  decay.  Nations  rise  and  perish,  sects 
emerge  and  disappear,  synagogues  and  altars  crumble 
into  dust;  but  Zion  holds  together  and  holds  on, 
imperishable  and  intact,  safe  in  an  indefeasible  cov- 
enant with  a  faithful  God. 

Such  is  the  certain  sentiment  of  this  undying 
Psalm;  and  such  is  our  assured,  inwrought  convic- 
tion here  today.  This  has  been  our  fathers'  church; 
and  it  shall  indubitably  be  our  children's  sanctuary, 
and  the  open  gate  to  Heaven  for  all  who  duly  respect 
the  majesty  and  equity  and  mercy  of  our  God,  till 
time  shall  fail.  The  righteousness  with  which  God's 
hand  is  full,  and  to  which  our  faith  adheres,  shall 
surely  outlast  these  pillars  and  walls  and  even  these 
surrounding  hills.  And  so  with  His  love  in  Christ; 
that  love  is  not  a  force  that  wearies  and  wanes.  It 
flows  even  and  forever,  more  reliable  in  its  upbearing 


73 

power  than  any  ocean  tide.     These  are  "bulwarks" 
that  never  crumble. 

5.  In  Zion  are  melodious  Hallelujahs.  She  en- 
folds one  lasting,  uplifting  theme  of  praise.  "Great 
is  the  Lord,  and  greatly  to  be  praised."  Here  virile 
hallelujahs  are  in  place,  by  reason  of  the  towering 
grandeur  of  the  King.  Here  are  upspringing,  uni- 
versal motives  for  genuine  jubilation.  God  is  the 
"joy  of  the  whole  earth."  Given  such  an  indwelling 
God,  there  will  be  such  outpouring  praise.  The  glory 
of  God  and  the  hallelujahs  of  men  will  find  an  equi- 
librium. "According  to  thy  name  so  is  thy  praise." 
For  very  welling  gladness  choral  bands  will  form 
spontaneously,  and  the  daughters  of  Judah  in  light, 
exultant  movements  of  visible,  ordered  harmony  will 
set  in  outer  form  the  inner  rhythms  of  religious  joy. 
Get  in  tune  and  swing  with  the  stately  melody  of  this 
Psalm.  Bring  your  heart  to  beat  in  harmony  with 
all  these  Psalms  in  joyful  turn.  What  a  splendid 
burst  of  praise  they  have  opened  and  upheld  upon 
the  earth.  And  then  all  other  hymns  and  melodies 
of  holy  praise — lend  to  each  a  listening  hour  and  a 
listening  ear — when  would  you  ever  tire  ? — and  when 
would  you  ever  end?  Explore  but  one — that  grand 
historic  ode  in  solemn  praise  of  the  blessed  God — 
Te  Deum  Laudamus.  What  a  worldfilling  new 
wealth  of  pure  and  wholesome  feeling  that  single 
hymn  has  poured  through  the  open  souls  of  men  up 
to  God!  There  is  power  and  value  in  that  one  sal- 
utation to  Jehovah  to  unify  and  satisfy  all  the  human 
race.  And  nowhere  could  that  uplifting  song,  so 
seemly  and  so  superb,  have  been  engendered  and 


74 

arranged,  but  in  the  teeming  bosom  of  the  Church 
of  God.  Here  is  one  of  the  fairest  features  of  this 
fairest  fellowship  of  men.  Zion  is  the  original  and 
eternal  home  of  holy  song. 

Such  are  the  marks  of  Zion,  outstanding,  enduring, 
unfading,  as  they  stand  and  shine  and  chant  their 
message  in  this  most  elegant  handiwork  of  most 
ancient  art.  Two  concluding  remarks  must  be  made. 

Zion  deserves  examination.  Such  a  city  may  not 
be  lightly  disregarded  and  passed  by.  They  who 
assume  to  pour  scorn  upon  her  might  more  wisely 
scorn  the  sky.  She  should  rather  be  studied  with 
eager,  reverent  attention.  "Walk  about  Zion,  and 
go  round  about  her.  Tell  the  towers  thereof.  Mark 
ye  well  her  bulwarks,  Consider  her  palaces."  Such 
is  the  earnest,  world-appealing  challenge  of  this 
Psalm.  Zion  is  worthy  of  the  study  of  the  keenest 
eyes  of  able,  honest  men;  and  of  the  deepest  intui- 
tion of  ardent,  eager  women.  This  is  a  proposition 
that  no  true  soul  can  prudently  disdain.  Here  are 
dignities  and  strongholds  and  resources,  here  are 
towers  and  vantages  and  outlooks,  here  are  chorals 
and  melodies  and  benedictions,  here  are  equities  and 
mercies  and  judgments  fit  to  fix  and  reward  any 
mind's  minute,  long-drawn  examination.  Here  are 
stores  of  interior  wealth  that  no  man  may  afford  to 
leave  unexplored.  They  ought  to  be  soberly  con- 
sidered. 

Zion  deserves  to  be  commended.  "Tell  it  to  the 
generation  following."  Here  is  a  supreme  and  con- 
cluding test.  How  do  you  rate  your  own  children? 
Let  every  man  reply.  Having  in  view  the  future  of 


75 

your  own  offspring,  what  will  you  ultimately  recom- 
mend? Zion  proffers  a  precious  answer  to  such  a 
sobering  inquiry  as  that.  Tell  your  little  ones  of 
God,  of  Zion,  of  a  refuge  in  Jehovah,  of  even  right- 
eousness, of  heavenly  goodness,  of  saving  love,  of 
things  deathlessly  invincible,  of  joys  that  never  stale, 
of  Psalms  in  which  a  world  may  fitly  join.  Here  is  a 
lesson  for  fathers  and  mothers  of  every  day.  Zion 
should  be  their  foremost  pride.  To  her  palaces  they 
should  frequently  and  statedly  resort,  with  all  their 
children  in  their  train,  for  study,  prayer  and  praise. 
An  ancient  Jewish  proverb  says:  "Count  no  man 
happy  until  he  dies;  for  a  man  becomes  known  in 
his  children."  Let  prayerless,  songless,  deceitful 
and  unmerciful  parents  pause  right  here  and  forecast 
the  products  of  their  lives  in  the  sensitive  soil  of  their 
own  children's  lives.  Oh,  that  all  parents  would  so 
behave  toward  Zion  as  to  win  instinctively  to  those 
goodly  palaces  the  hearty  homage  of  their  children 
and  their  children's  children  unto  the  remotest 
generation. 

Then  Zion,  the  city  of  God  will  be  to  us  at  once  a 
most  precious  Dowry  and  a  most  arousing  Ideal. 
Then  our  souls  may  be  happily  engaged  at  once  in 
grateful  memories  and  in  confident  prophecies. 
Then  out  of  a  cherished  History  will  stand  forth  the 
goodly  stature  of  a  cherished  Hope.  Thus  with 
due  respect  to  all  the  days  now  past  and  keen  antici- 
pation of  all  the  days  to  come  we  may  most  properly 
honor  this  notable  Anniversary  Day  as  it  passes  by 


SUNDAY    EVENING,    NOV.  26. 


A  congregation  of  about  350  completely  filled  the 
Parish  House  for  the  closing  service.  The  Scripture 
was  read  and  prayer  offered  by  Rev.  Edward  O. 
Grisbrook  of  Poquonock.  The  choir  repeated  the 
two  old  anthems  which  had  been  sung  the  previous 
Sunday  morning,  "Jerusalem  My  Glorious  Home," 
and  "Sound  the  Loud  Timbrel."  The  preacher  was 
the  Rev.  Rockwell  Harmon  Potter,  Pastor  of  the 
First  Church,  Hartford.  An  incomplete  report  of 
the  sermon  follows : 


77 


SERMON  BY 

REV.  ROCKWELL   HARMON    POTTER, 

OF  HARTFORD. 

THE  APOSTLE'S  HOPE 
FOR  A  CHURCH  WITH  A  HISTORY. 


By  way  of  introduction,  Mr.  Potter  said  that  the 
question  as  to  the  oldest  church  did  not  cause  his  con- 
gregation any  difficulty  as  the  church  in  Hartford  had 
long  recognized  the  claims  of  the  Windsor  congrega- 
tion and  he  brought  greetings  from  the  First  Church 
of  Christ  in  Hartford  to  her  elder  sister  in  Windsor. 
His  text  was  from  Hebrews  VI:12,  "That  ye  be  not 
sluggish  but  imitators  of  those  who  through  faith 
and  patience  inherit  the  promises." 

Mr.  Potter  said  that  the  words  expressed  the 
hope  of  the  apostle  for  a  church  with  a  history. 
He  was  addressing  a  Christian  congregation  of  the 
first  century  that  had  lived  a  little  more  than  a  gen- 
eration in  the  new  faith.  He  reviews  with  sadness 
and  shame  their  present  condition,  observing  that 
now,  when  they  ought  to  have  learned  the  larger 
truths  of  Christianity  and  ought  to  be  sturdy  repre- 
sentatives of  an  intellectual  and  spiritual  faith,  able 
to  follow  and  apprehend  and  to  be  inspired  by  the 
loftiest  Christian  teaching,  they  are  in  an  attitude 


78 

of  indifference,  dulled  in  spiritual  sense,  making  it 
necessary  for  their  teacher  to  repeat  with  wearisome 
iteration  the  first  truths  of  the  faith.  Their  intel- 
lects lack  the  fine  edge  and  discernment  and  the 
broad  and  clear  interpretative  power  with  which, 
alone,  the  truth  is  to  be  apprehended  and  utilized. 

It  is  against  the  background  of  the  dangers  of  a 
church  with  a  history,  that  he  gives  expression  to 
his  hope  for  such  a  church.  Following  his  example 
it  is  well  to  look  for  a  moment  at  those  dangers.  The 
church  with  a  history  is  in  danger  of  substituting 
formalism  for  faith.  In  a  church  which  has  existed 
for  nine  generations  in  practically  one  place,  in  which 
generation  has  succeeded  generation  in  the  same 
practises  of  the  faith,  there  is  grave  peril,  even  though 
that  church  is  a  Puritan  church,  lest  formalism  be 
substituted  for  faith  as  the  years  add  themselves  to 
the  reckoning. 

There  is  no  danger  that  the  technical  perils  of 
ritualism  and  sacramentalism  will  corrupt  the  order 
of  worship  or  the  manner  of  prayer  and  praise  but, 
rather,  that  the  old  way  of  doing  things,  however 
simple  once,  may  become  stereotyped  so  that  a  man 
does  what  his  father  did,  not  because  he  finds  what 
his  father  found,  but  because  it  is  proper  that  a  respect- 
able family  practice  should  not  be  discontinued. 
When  the  services  of  the  church,  the  reading  of  the 
Bible,  and  the  place  and  time  of  prayer  begin  to  be 
insulated  from  the  habits  of  a  man's  living  so  that 
his  idea  of  God  today  is  no  larger  than  it  was  yester- 
day and  his  conception  of  faith  is  no  clearer  than  it 
was  five  years  ago  it  is  evident  that  his  mind  has 


79 

become  dulled  and  sluggish  in  spiritual  things  and  is 
in  peril  of  that  stagnation  which  precedes  death. 

There  is  also  a  stagnation  or  dulness  that  imperils 
a  church  with  a  history  when  it  shows  indifference 
to  the  needs  of  men  and  a  neglect  of  those  gracious 
ministries  of  the  faith  which  the  church  is  set  in  this 
world  to  give.  In  the  great  eras  of  the  church  it  has 
been  alert,  agile,  and  observant  of  opportunities  for 
service.  It  has  been  responsive  to  human  needs  and 
distress.  The  peril  of  a  church  with  a  history  is  that, 
as  the  years  move  on,  she  may  become  blind  to  the 
needs  of  men  about  her,  insensible  to  conditions  that 
call  for  her  ministry,  self -satisfied,  indolent,  lethargic, 
sleepy,  disregarding  the  demands  upon  her  energies. 
In  such  peril  she  stands  when  pews  are  well  filled, 
her  services  well  attended,  her  treasury  well  provided 
for.  Let  her  be  careful  then  lest  she  forget  the  poor, 
the  stranger,  the  immigrant,  the  defective  and  the 
delinquent  classes.  Among  these  she  should  find 
her  highest  mission.  If  she  fails  in  this  work  she 
proves  a  traitor  to  her  Lord. 

The  church  with  a  history  should  also  be  careful 
lest  the  moral  fiber  of  her  members  become  flabby 
and  weak,  lest  the  ethical  sense  of  her  people  be 
blinded  through  long  familiarity  with  the  commands 
of  the  Scriptures  and  inadequately  interpret  the  gos- 
pel. The  sons  of  men  whose  ethical  sense  was  un- 
erring and  whose  moral  fiber  was  of  the  stuff  of  which 
heroes  are  made  will  sometimes  be  found  using  their 
heritage  of  Christian  liberty  as  a  cheap  license  to 
dally  with  sin,  to  palliate  it  in  others  and  to  excuse 
it  in  themselves.  They  become  blind  as  bats  upon 


80 

matters  of  personal  morality  and  are  unable  to  see 
that  fine  drawn  line  of  fire  which  God  draws  in  every 
human  life. 

The  speaker  said  that  in  dwelling  so  long  upon  the 
perils  of  a  church  with  a  history,  he  had  followed 
the  example  of  the  author  of  the  text.  It  was  the 
hope  of  the  apostle  that  those  whom  he  addressed 
would  throw  off  their  sluggishness  and  become  wor- 
thy successors,  not  only  of  the  first  Christians  but 
also  of  the  earlier  heroes  of  Israel. 

We  have  large  ground  for  hope  for  a  church  which 
has  endured  for  so  many  years.  The  record  of  275 
years  is  eloquent  with  the  faith  and  virtue  of  the  men, 
who,  in  this  fellowship,  offered  prayer  and  praise  and 
is  redolent  with  the  tenderness  and  grace  of  those,  who 
with  their  lives  here,  adorned  the  doctrine  of  our  Lord. 
The  hope  for  the  church  is  that  its  members  will  prove 
worthy  successors  to  those  who,  through  faith  and 
patience,  have  inherited  the  promises  of  God.  Con- 
necticut's history  during  this  generation  will  call  for 
men  of  as  clear  vision  of  the  things  of  the  faith,  of  as 
ready  sympathy  for  practical  service  and  of  as  clear 
ethical  insight  as  has  any  preceding  one.  The  speaker 
said  that  he  hoped  the  Church  of  Christ  in  Windsor 
would  contribute  to  the  solution  of  Twentieth  Cen- 
tury problems  men  of  the  sterling  integrity,  the 
broad  sympathies  and  the  generous  purposes  of  those 
who  laid  the  foundations  of  this  their  earthly  Zion. 


81 


AS  TO  ORIGIN  AND  EARLY 
MIGRATIONS. 


In  the  preface  of  the  History  of  the  Town  of  Dor- 
chester, published  in  1859,  by  a  committee  of  the 
Dorchester  Antiquarian  and  Historical  Society,  it 
is  stated  that  when  "a  large  number  of  the  prominent 
men  of  the  first  settlers"  removed  to  Connecticut, 
they  took  with  them  the  church  records;  and  that 
"the  present  town  record  book  probably  commenced 
with  the  settlement  in  1630,  but  the  first  two  leaves, 
containing  four  pages,  which  may  be  supposed 
to  have  been  the  record  of  the  first  transactions  of 
the  plantation,  are  wanting." 

Thus  the  records  of  the  genesis  and  first  years  of 
the  Windsor  Church  may  have  started  from  Dor- 
chester, but  so  far  as  appears,  no  one  has  ever  seen 
them  since. 

In  the  absence  of  these  records,  we  must  be  con- 
tent to  remain  in  ignorance  upon  many  details  of 
that  early  history.  What  was  the  method  of  pro- 
cedure on  that  eventful  day  in  Plymouth?  Was 
a  creed  adopted?  and  if  so,  what  were  its  articles? 
What  was  the  form  of  church  covenant  used?  How 
was  the  fitness  of  persons  for  church  membership  de- 
termined? These  and  other  like  questions  would, 
no  doubt,  be  answered  by  these  lost  memorials; 


82 

and  yet,  without  them  the  salient  facts  of  the  church's 
origin  and  early  movements  have  come  down  to  us 
in  other  writings. 

The  source  of  our  knowledge  of  the  beginnings  of 
the  church  in  England  is  mainly  a  little  book  written 
by  Roger  Clap,  the  quaint  title  page  of  which  is  as 
follows:  "Memoirs  of  Capt.  Roger  Clap.  Relating 
some  of  God's  Remarkable  Providences  to  Him,  in 
bringing  him  into  New-England;  and  some  of  the 
Straits  and  Afflictions,  the  Good  People  met  with 
here  in  their  Beginnings.  And  instructing,  Counsel- 
ling, Directing  and  Commanding  his  Children  and 
Children's  Children,  and  Household,  to  serve  the  Lord 
in  their  Generations  to  the  latest  Posterity.  Boston 
in  New- England.  Printed  by  B.  Green,  1731." 

Other  editions  were  printed  in  1844  and  1854. 

The  passage  in  this  book  which  bears  upon  the 
origin  of  the  church  is  here  quoted  entire: 

"I  gave  you  a  hint  towards  the  beginning,  that  I 
came  out  of  Plymouth  in  Devon,  the  20th  of  March, 
and  arrived  at  Nantasket  (now  Hull)  the  30th  of 
May,  1630.  Now  this  is  further  to  inform  you,  that 
there  came  many  Godly  Families  in  that  Ship.  We 
were  of  Passengers  many  in  Number  (besides  Sea- 
men) of  good  Rank.  Two  of  our  Magistrates  came 
with  us,  viz:  Mr.  Rossiter  and  Mr.  Ludlow.  These 
godly  People  resolved  to  live  together;  and  therefore 
as  they  had  made  choice  of  those  two  Revd.  Servants 
of  God,  Mr.  John  Warham  and  Mr.  John  Maverick 
to  be  their  ministers,  so  they  kept  a  solemn  Day  of 
Fasting  in  New  Hospital  in  Plymouth  in  England, 
spending  it  in  Preaching  and  Praying:  where  that 


83 

worthy  Man  of  God,  Mr.  John  White  of  Dorchester 
in  Dorset  was  present,  and  Preached  unto  us  the  Word 
of  God,  in  the  fore-part  of  the  Day ;  and  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  Day,  as  the  People  did  solemnly  make 
Choice  of,  and  call  those  godly  Ministers  to  be  their 
Officers,  so  also  the  Revd.  Mr.  Warhawt  and  Mr. 
Maverick  did  accept  thereof,  and  expressed  the  same. 
So  we  came,  by  the  good  Hand  of  the  Lord,  through 
the  Deeps  comfortably;  having  Preaching  or  Ex- 
pounding of  the  Word  of  God  every  Day  for  Ten  Weeks 
together,  by  our  Ministers.  When  we  came  to 
Nantasket,  Capt.  Squeb,  who  was  Captain  of  that 
great  Ship  of  Four  Hundred  Tons,  would  not  bring 
us  into  Charles  River,  as  he  was  bound  to  do;  but, 
put  us  ashore  and  our  Goods  on  Nantasket  Point,  and 
left  us  to  shift  for  ourselves  in  a  forlorn  Place  in  this 
Wilderness.  But  as  it  pleased  God,  we  got  a  Boat 
of  some  old  Planters,  and  laded  her  with  Goods,  and 
some  able  Men  well  Armed  went  in  her  unto  Charles- 
town  :  where  we  found  some  Wigwams  and  one  House, 
and  in  the  House  there  was  a  Man  which  had  a  boiled 
Bass,  but  no  Bread  that  we  see ;  but  we  did  eat  of  his 
Bass,  and  then  went  up  Charles  River,  until  the  River 
grew  narrow  and  shallow,  and  there  we  landed  our 
Goods  with  much  Labour  and  Toil,  the  Bank  being 
steep.  And  Night  coming  on,  we  were  informed  that 
there  were  hard  by  us  Three  Hundred  Indians:  One 
English  Man  that  could  speak  the  Indian  Language 
(an  old  Planter)  went  to  them  and  advised  them  not 
to  come  near  us  in  the  Night;  and  they  harkened  to 
his  Counsel,  and  came  not.  I  myself  was  one  of  the 
Centinels  that  first  Night;  Our  Captain  was  a  Low 


84 

Country  Souldier,  one  Mr.  Southcot,  a  brave  Souldier. 
In  the  Morning  some  of  the  Indians  came  and  stood 
at  a  distance  off,  looking  at  us,  but  came  not  near 
us :  but  when  they  had  been  a  while  in  view,  some  of 
them  came  and  held  out  a  great  Bass  toward  us; 
so  we  sent  a  Man  with  a  Bisket,  and  changed  the 
Cake  for  the  Bass.  Afterwards  they  supplied  us  with 
Bass,  exchanging  a  Bass  for  a  Bisket  Cake,  and  were 
very  friendly  unto  us." 

Touching  the  migration  of  the  church  from  Dor- 
chester to  Windsor  several  statements  from  early 
sources  are  brought  together  here.  The  people  who 
came  in  the  Mary  and  John  had  been  increased  by 
a  considerable  number  of  later  arrivals,  so  that,  when 
the  Windsor  emigrants  came  away,  enough  were  left 
of  the  original  settlers,  with  the  new  comers,  to  form 
a  new  church  in  Dorchester.  The  Rev.  Richard 
Mather  was  prevailed  upon  to  be  the  minister  of 
this  new  foundation. 

Winthrop's  Journal,  vol.  I,  p.  183,  1636,  says: 

"Mr.  Mather  and  others,  of  Dorchester,  intending  to 
begin  a  new  church  there  (a  great  part  of  the  old  one 
being  gone  to  Connecticut),  desired  the  approbation 
of  the  other  churches  and  the  magistrates." 

A  council  was  convened  April  1,  1636,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  organizing  this  new  church  and  of  settling 
Mr.  Mather  into  the  office  of  minister. 

But  when  the  prospective  members,  in  the  words 
of  Winthrop,  proceeded  "to  manifest  the  work  of 
God's  grace  in  themselves,  the  churches,  by  their 
elders,  and  the  magistrates,  etc.,  thought  them  not 
meet,  at  present,  to  be  the  foundation  of  a  church 


85 

and  thereupon  they  were  content  to  forbear  to  join 
till  further  consideration." 

One  member  of  this  council  was  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Shepherd  of  Newtown,  now  Cambridge.  He  took 
a  leading  part  in  the  council,  and,  after  returning 
home,  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Mather  assuring  him  of 
his  friendliness  and  endeavoring  to  console  him  upon 
the  failure  to  secure  the  approbation  of  the  magis- 
trates and  neighboring  churches.  To  this  letter  Mr. 
Mather  replied,  stating  his  regret  that  "stones  so 
unhammered  and  unhewn"  had  been  brought  for 
the  new  structure.  This  paragraph  from  Mr. 
Mather's  letter  bears  upon  the  removal  of  the  old 
church  to  Windsor.  "But  you  will  say,  why,  then, 
did  you  present  yourself  with  the  people  before  the 
Lord  and  the  churches?  I  will  tell  you  the  truth 
therein.  They  pressed  me  into  it  with  much  impor- 
tunity, and  so  did  others  also,  till  I  was  ashamed  to 
deny  any  longer,  and  laid  it  on  me  as  a  thing  to  which 
I  was  bound  in  conscience  to  assent;  because,  if  I 
yielded  not  to  join,  there  would  be,  said  they,  no 
church  at  all  in  this  place,  and  so  a  tribe,  as  it  were, 
should  perish  out  of  Israel,  and  all  through  my  de- 
fault." (Albro's  Life  of  Shepherd,  p.  219). 

"Unhammered  and  unhewn"  though  the  stones 
may  have  been,  the  first  of  April,  a  few  months  seem 
to  have  been  sufficient,  with  the  zeal  of  the  people 
and  their  eagerness  for  church  privileges,  to  shape 
them  for  their  places  in  the  temple.  For  a  second 
council  was  called  the  23rd  of  August,  the  same 
year,  and  on  that  day  the  new  church  in  Dorchester 
was  constituted  with  the  same  Richard  Mather  for 
its  minister. 


86 

Increase  Mather,  son  of  Richard,  says:  "The  church 
which  was  first  planted  in  that  place,  being  removed 
with  the  Reverend  Mr.  Warham  to  Connecticut, 
there  was  an  Essay  towards  Gathering  a  Church 
April  1,  1636."  (Life  and  Death  of  Rev.  Richard 
Mather,  edition  of  1850,  p.  73). 

Cotton  Mather,  son  of  Increase,  passes  on  the  same 
testimony:  "The  church  formerly  planted  there 
being  transplanted  with  Mr.  Warham  to  Connecticut, 
another  church  was  now  gathered  here  Aug.  23,  1636, 
by  whose  choice  Mr.  Mather  was  now  become  their 
teacher."  (Magnalia,  vol.  I,  p.  450.) 

These  citations  are  sufficient  to  show,  beyond  any 
reasonable  doubt,  that  the  original  church  came  to 
Windsor  with  Mr.  Warham  previous  to  April  1,  1636, 
the  date  on  which  the  council  met  to  institute  a  new 
church  in  Dorchester.  A  considerable  proportion  of 
the  original  settlers  remained  in  Dorchester,  but  if  the 
church  in  the  judgment  of  the  people  of  the  Bay  had  re- 
mained there,  what  possible  need  of  a  council  to  organ- 
ize a  new  one  ?  All  references  to  the  matter  agree  that 
the  church  over  which  Richard  Mather  was  set,  Aug. 
23,  1636,  was  a  new  foundation.  A  new  creed  was 
adopted  that  day. 

Thus  the  church  which  had  been  in  Dorchester 
for  six  years  as  an  organized  institution  disappeared 
as  such  from  that  place.  What  became  of  it?  Did 
it  remove,  in  the  capacity  of  an  organized  society, 
to  Windsor?  That  it  did  so,  a  careful  reading  of  the 
foregoing  citations  would  seem  to  be  convincing. 
If  further  evidence  were  needed  the  facts  relating 
to  the  settlement  of  the  church  here  would  be  con- 


87 

elusive.  Mr.  Warham  and  his  people,  beyond  doubt, 
assumed  that  when  they  arrived  here  they  were  a 
church.  They  undertook  the  functions  of  a  church  at 
once.  So  far  as  is  known,  no  one  ever  thought  of 
such  a  thing  as  "gathering"  a  new  church,  or  of  re- 
constituting the  old  one,  in  this  new  location.  In 
the  assumption  of  the  people  themselves,  unques- 
tioned, so  far  as  known,  by  neighboring  churches, 
magistrates,  or  any  others  in  their  generation,  they 
were  in  regular  church  estate  when  they  came 
through  the  wilderness  and  at  the  moment  they 
pitched  camp  by  the  Connecticut  River.  In  the 
light  of  such  considerations  the  claim  that  the  Windsor 
Church  is  the  original  Dorchester  church  transplanted 
becomes  one  of  the  certainties  of  history. 

A  good  discussion  of  the  subject  here  touched  upon 
may  be  found  in  the  Historical  Address  of  Rev.  G. 
C.  Wilson,  delivered  on  the  occasion  of  the  Quarter 
Millennial  of  the  church  in  1880,  and  printed  in  the 
record  of  that  celebration:  Also  in  the  papers  and 
addresses  of  the  late  Dea.  Jabez  H.  Hay  den.  [R.  N.] 


